Lightweight Mosley Says He’s Worthy of the Big Time : Boxing: Fighter will face former WBO champion Aceves Friday at The Pond.

Sugar Shane Mosley and his promoter Patrick Ortiz proclaimed again Tuesday that Mosley is the best lightweight in the world--better than Oscar De La Hoya, Genaro Hernandez and Rafael Ruelas.

But while De La Hoya and Ruelas fight for millions and Hernandez fights De La Hoya for $500,000, Mosley will step into the ring Friday night at The Pond for $4,000 against a former world champion who has not won a fight in six years.

Frankly, Mosley (17-0 with 16 knockouts) is tired of fighting small-time boxers for small time-money in virtual obscurity.

“I feel I can get in there with bigger and tougher fighters,” Mosely said Tuesday at The Pond’s press conference promoting his fight with Mauricio Aceves, a former World Boxing Organization champion. “If it was on TV, I’d make anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 instead of the $4,000 I’ll make for this fight.”

So who’s to blame? Jack Mosley, his father and manager?

“It’s not the management,” he said. “It’s the promotion.”

With only 10 months left on his promotional contract with Ortiz, president of Ringside Ticket, Inc., Mosley seems to be counting the days until it expires. When asked if he is getting impatient, he said, “You could say that.”

Mosely, who said he is ready for a title shot, said he isn’t expecting Ortiz to pull off any miracles before the contract runs out.

“I’m not looking for much to happen in the next 10 months,” said Mosley, who turns 24 in September. “The promoter is the one who has the power to give me the title shot. It’s frustrating, but I have to keep my head up and stay ready.”

Ortiz, who disputed the expiration date of his contract with Mosley, said he understands his fighter’s frustration.

“We’re both trying to get him a title shot,” Ortiz said. “His goal is my goal. I’m sure he wants to make more money. We want to get to the top of the mountain. We know he can do it. Now we need to make a couple things happen.”

Mosely, ranked fifth by the World Boxing Council, says he doesn’t put all the blame on Ortiz for his slow-moving career.

“Not to take anything away from Patrick, he’s working hard,” said Mosely, “but I don’t think he’s got the shareholders backing him. They’re holding him back. We’re a team and when one of the members of the team isn’t with you, it’s the whole team that suffers.”

Mosely said he has talking to Bob Arum, president of Top Rank, and Don King about changing teams. Dan Goossen, who works for Top Rank, said his company has spoken with Mosely.

“It’s a well-known fact we’ve talked to Shane,” Goossen said. “The whole purpose of Top Rank is to build young fighters up. . . . We feel we can make Shane into an attraction.”

Ortiz, who is planning on promoting nine more shows at The Pond in the next year, said he expects to be with Mosley for a long time.

“This is normal for an athlete,” Ortiz said. “When they’re on the verge and they can taste it. I’m right there with him. I’m salivating too. I know we’re working together now and I assume we’ll always be working together.”