LOS ANGELES — Shane Mosley dominated from start to finish, knocking out Antonio Margarito for the first time in his career in the ninth round Saturday night to win the WBA welterweight title in a stunning upset.
Margarito was coming off an impressive victory over previously unbeaten Miguel Cotto six months ago, and boxing experts had tabbed the 30-year-old slugger one of the top pound-for-pound fighters.
But Mosley (46-5, with 39 knockouts) must not have been paying attention.
Despite his advancing age, the 37-year-old Mosley used his superior quickness from the beginning, and Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs) never was able to display the power he showed against Cotto.
“It was my strategy, my focus, my game plan,” Mosley said when asked what won the fight. “It was a tough fight, but it was a great plan.It was my left hook.”
The bout was held before an announced crowd of 20,820 at Staples Center.
Margarito didn’t win a single round on one judge’s scorecard, one on another and two on the third. The Associated Press had Mosley winning every round but one.
Stricker leads Hope Classic
LA QUINTA, Calif. — Steve Stricker shot a 10-under-par 62 to overtake Pat Perez as he went to 33-under through four rounds of the birdie-fest known as the Bob Hope Classic.
Eight shots behind Perez after 36 holes, Stricker shot 61 during the third round to move into contention, and his sparkling play on the fourth day gave him a three-shot lead over Perez, the leader each of the previous three rounds.
• Brad Bryant shot a 7-under 65 to take a one-shot lead over Bernhard Langer after two rounds in the Champions Tour’s season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii.
Austrian claims Cup ski jumping
WHISTLER, British Columbia — Austrian Gregor Schlierenzauer captured the World Cup ski jumping event with 298.2 points.
Countryman Wolfgang Loitzl was second with 274.1 points, and Finland’s Matti Hautamaeki finished third with 270.6 points.
• Germany’s Jenny Wolf won her seventh 500-meter World Cup speedskating race of the season in 37.51 seconds in Kolomna, Russia.
In the men’s race, Keiichiro Nagashima of Japan won in 34.85.
Footnotes.
Pat White passed for 95 yards and a touchdown and directed two scoring drives as the South beat the North 35-18 in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
• Australian Allan Davis won the 92-mile fifth stage of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia. Lance Armstrong finished 23rd.
• The Oakland A’s agreed to terms on a $3.9 million, one-year contract with right-hander Justin Duchscherer.
• It’s a Bird rallied to win the $1 million Classic at Gulfstream Park in Arcadia, Calif.
• Sacha Kljestan‘s three goals sparked the United States over Sweden 3-1 in a soccer exhibition in Carson, Calif.
The Associated Press
