Mosley Hands Walsh Second Professional Defeat to Take State Title

La Mirada junior welterweight Michael Walsh had an opportunity to fight Mark Lewis, a promising fighter with an impressive 10-1 record. Instead, Walsh’s manager and trainer Jesse Reid opted for journeyman Russell Mosley.

Maybe Lewis couldn’t have been any tougher than Mosley, who handed Walsh his second professional loss by winning a 10-round split decision Thursday night and taking the vacant California title.

Mosley (9-16-1), who has won his last five fights, was knocked down by a short left hand late in the second round. But Mosley turned the fight around when he landed an overhand right on Walsh’s left eye as the bell sounded ending the third round. The punch opened up a nasty cut on Walsh’s eyelid. With blood flowing freely into his left eye, Walsh could not see Mosley’s right hand and he started to panic.

“They can’t prepare you for fighting with blood going in your eye in the gym,” Walsh said. “It’s something you have to learn in the ring.”

The cut worsened each round and by the seventh, Walsh’s nose also was bloody. Dr. Michael DeLuca checked the severity of Walsh’s cuts in the seventh, but allowed the fight to continue. He picked up some momentum in the eighth and ninth by landing some hard combinations.

But he couldn’t sustain the momentum and Mosley took the last round. Mosley won on two scorecards, 97-92 and 95-94, and lost on another, 96-93. Mosley, who had his best friend and stablemate Terry Norris in his corner, said he felt vindicated.

“They underestimated me,” said Mosley, who trains in Campo, 60 miles east of San Diego. “The dude got his [butt] whipped. When he dropped me in the second round, he caught me cold. But he couldn’t get me again.

“He just didn’t have the experience that I did. He’s a one-dimensional fighter. He never changed his style all night.”

Walsh (17-2-3) was hoping to start moving up into the top 20 of the various organizations, but first he had to beat Mosley.

“The papers made it sound like it was a no-win situation for me,” Walsh said. “If I beat him, I’m supposed to. If I lose, it’s a big deal.”

Walsh admitted it was a big deal to Mosley.

“At 31, he had the fight of his life,” Walsh said.

And where does Walsh go from here?

“I don’t know.”