Sweet ‘N Low

This isn’t the way it was supposed to be.

We saw Shane Mosley beat Oscar De La Hoya in June at Staples Center to win the World Boxing Council welterweight title. We saw the Southern California boxing torch taken from De La Hoya, a product of East Los Angeles, by Mosley, the pride of Pomona.

We heard a bitter, bruised De La Hoya lash out at his sport in the postfight news conference, threatening to retire, and watched a smiling, confident Mosley gaze out at an unlimited future.

Yet if the balance of power shifted in the welterweight division that night, the drawing power did not.

Since June, it is De La Hoya, not Mosley, who has dominated the headlines:

De La Hoya sues his promoter.

De La Hoya Fires Trainer.

De La Hoya Hires New Trainer.

De La Hoya Launches Singing Career.

Mosley?

He went on a cruise, played a little basketball, worked out and eagerly awaited his return to the ring.

Hardly headline material.

Mosley will finally return to the ring tonight, when he defends his new title against Antonio Diaz of Coachella at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The response has been underwhelming.

Actually, Mosley and Diaz will fight in the Theater at the Garden, which seats 5,000, rather than in the main arena, which holds 19,000 for boxing. And even in the smaller quarters, it is not a sellout.

Against virtually unknown Derrell Coley in February, De La Hoya was able to draw 13,814 to the main Garden arena.

Now Mosley is certainly not an unknown like Coley. Or Diaz. He is no longer lost in De La Hoya’s shadow, a fighting phenom known only to boxing aficionados. Mosley’s name appears regularly and high up on the list of boxing’s best fighters. His face can be seen this week on a billboard in Times Square.

He’s a bona fide star. But he’s not yet a bright enough star to carry a boxing show merely on the strength of his name. He’s not De La Hoya.

But Mosley is not bitter about that.

“Oscar will never lose the spotlight because not too many people have been able to beat him,” Mosley said. “Only me. I think Pernell Whitaker also beat him and I think Ike Quartey fought him evenly, but I’m the only one who beat him with no dispute or controversy.

“I’m happy for anything he gets because he gave me the chance to showcase my talent before the world.”

Maybe Mosley just doesn’t get it.

Where is his collection of parasites, politely referred to as an entourage?

Where is his collection of gaudy, body-encasing jewelry?

Where is his collection of ugly tattoos?

Where is the split with his father?

Where is the attitude?

Where is the controversy?

Maybe his problem is that he just doesn’t know how to behave like a champion.

“We don’t need all that,” said his father-manager-trainer-best friend, Jack Mosley, of the wild, unruly lifestyle of some in boxing. “We know who we are. Those guys are just feeding their egos. If they have to do that, fine.

“We are going to enjoy the ride as far as it takes us. The bright lights are great, as long as your ego doesn’t get out of hand. And Shane will also be fine when it all blows by. Some fighters have problems mentally when it ends. We don’t want Shane to be like that.”

He easily could have been, considering his credentials.

Mosley (35-0, 32 knockouts) is a three-time national amateur champion and a former International Boxing Federation lightweight champ who defended that title eight times, winning all eight bouts by knockout.

Heady stuff for a guy who has spent most of his career fighting for recognition.

But it hasn’t turned him into a jerk, hasn’t tempted him to say, I told you so.

Being 29 rather than 21 gives Mosley some perspective, which helps in keeping his ego under control.

So does the fact that he has remained firmly grounded in his roots, his professional and personal relationship with his father unaffected by his success.

“None of that Mayweather stuff for us,” said Jack, referring to the WBC super-featherweight champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr., who recently fired his trainer, Floyd Sr.

Diaz has his flashy numbers, a 33-2 record, 22 knockouts and 11 successful title defenses of the International Boxing Assn. junior welterweight title.

Diaz, however, is not only stepping up in weight, but class as well. His aggressive, hard-hitting style figures to be about as effective against the fast-moving, slick Mosley as that of a bull against a matador.

Matadors have been known to get gored, but only when they get careless.

“I know Antonio pretty well,” Mosley said. “He’s a puncher, counterpuncher. I’m well aware of what he brings to the table.”

Said Jack: “Antonio Diaz likes to come ahead punching, with the winner being whoever is left standing. We don’t fight like that.”

And here’s a scary thought for Diaz: According to the senior Mosley, his son was only 70% of what he can be against De La Hoya.

“He didn’t do all the things I wanted him to do in that fight,” Jack said. “He was not as busy as I wanted him to be. He spent too much time watching and waiting. It was a chess match.”

Tonight will be a boxing match, a lesson for Diaz, a triumph for Mosley and a treat to watch.

Too bad more people won’t see it.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Fight Facts

* Who: Shane Mosley vs. Antonio Diaz

* At stake: Mosley’s WBC welterweight title

* Where: The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

* When: 6:45 tonight

* Television: HBO

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DIAZ TALE OF THE TAPE MOSLEY Coachella HOMETOWN Pomona 24 AGE 29 5-10 1/2 HEIGHT 5-9 146 1/2 WEIGHT 146 1/2 70 REACH 74 15 1/2 NECK 16 1/2 36 1/2 CHEST 39 38 CHEST EXPANDED 42 13 BICEPS 14 11 FOREARM 11 1/2 7 WRIST 6 1/4 11 FIST 11 1/2 30 WAIST 31 21 THIGH 22 14 1/2 CALF 13 1/4 33-2 RECORD 35-0 22 KNOCKOUTS 32

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