TAKE FIVE: MOSLEY VS. COLLAZO

By Jeff Haney (contact)

Friday, Feb. 9, 2007 | 7:12 a.m.

Las Vegas Sun

Principals: Shane Mosley (43-4, 1 NC, 37 KOs) vs. Luis Collazo (27-2, 13 KOs)

At stake: WBC interim welterweight championship, 12 scheduled rounds

Time/site: Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center; doors open, 4 p.m.; first bout, 4:30 p.m.

Tickets: $50 to $300, 632-7580, mandalaybay.com

TV: HBO (Cox cable channel 200), 6:45 p.m.

Weigh-in: 2:30 p.m. today , J-Pop Lounge (formerly the Coral Reef Lounge), Mandalay Bay

Co-feature: Vivian Harris (27-2-1, 18 KOs) vs. Juan Lazcano (37-3-1, 27 KOs), 12 rounds, WBC junior welterweight eliminator

Undercard: Billy Dib (14-0, 9 KOs) vs. Carlos Contreras (20-12-2, 13 KOs), 10 rounds, featherweights; Jose Rodriguez (9-0, 1 KO) vs. Cesar Valentin (4-3, 2 KOs), 8 rounds, junior middleweights; Craig McEwan (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Isidro Arreola (1-0), 6 rounds, middleweights; Leon Green (2-1) vs. Bryan Mullis (1-0), 4 rounds, welterweights

Betting line: Mosley -380/Collazo +320

1. Luis, Luis

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., with Puerto Rican roots, Collazo won the WBA welterweight title in 2005 by beating Jose Antonio Rivera in Rivera's hometown of Worcester, Mass., after taking the fight on just two weeks' notice. Two judges scored the 12-rounder for Collazo. As Collazo's bio diplomatically puts it, "The judge who scored the fight for Rivera happened to be from Worcester." Last year, Collazo gave British champ Ricky Hatton the toughest fight of his career but lost a close decision. "My main concern (after the loss) was to stay motivated and work my way back to the top," Collazo said.

2. Same, only different

Collazo, a 25-year-old left-hander, maintains Hatton - who has since returned to the junior welterweight division - should have lost the decision. He sees Saturday's bout as a similar matchup of styles. "I believe Shane has a little more speed than Hatton," Collazo, who trained for the fight in Hollywood, Fla., said. Mosley's not so sure. "It's a totally different style," Mosley said. "Ricky comes right at you. I give you more angles; my arms are a little longer. You can come face-forward and get hit, or you can go at him (while moving) side to side. For the most part I'm going to be steady with my attack."

3. Vote of support

At age 35, Mosley, a five-time world champion in three weight classes, says he feels stronger and better conditioned than he ever has. He returns to the welterweight division after his past two fights - both victories against Fernando Vargas - and six of his past eight took place at 154 pounds. Promoter Bernard Hopkins of Golden Boy Promotions said it's the right move for Mosley, whom he called a sure first-ballot Hall of Famer. "To me, that was always his best weight class," Hopkins said. "You've got a lot of great talent at 147, so he's going to stay pretty busy."

4. Mind games?

In a bit of boxing gamesmanship, Collazo's trainer Nirmal Lorrick complained that officials with Golden Boy were treating his fighter like a "third-class" citizen - something about a dispute regarding a flight to Las Vegas with a stopover instead of a nonstop arrangement. "Promotion companies are all the same," Lorrick said. "We're always treated like dirt." His grumbling drew a rebuke from the inimitable Hopkins. "When I started (in boxing), I didn't even have third class," Hopkins said. "I had no class." Not bad for an ad lib.

5. Maybe next time

During training camp in Big Bear, Calif., Mosley sparred regularly with three southpaws to prepare for Collazo. "Those guys gave Shane three different looks - they have power and they have speed," Jack Mosley, Shane's father and trainer, said. "I don't feel Collazo has the power to keep Shane off him. Shane has rededicated his spirit to this fight and all the fights after this." Shane Mosley called Collazo a dangerous fighter and said he admires his boxing skills. "He's an up-and-coming superstar, but I'm afraid Feb. 10 is not going to be his night," Mosley said.