Change of Heart

For a fighter, firing his manager, the person who guided his career, can be difficult. Firing a trainer, the man who molded his body through diet and exercise and stood in his corner, can be excruciatingly hard.

Now imagine firing someone who was not only your manager, not only your trainer, but is your father as well.

There was a time when Shane Mosley could never have imagined such a thing. Except for a few international amateur bouts, his father, Jack, was the only face he’d ever seen in his corner. It was Jack who first took him to the gym at age 8, the man who guided Shane to world titles in three weight categories, including two memorable victories over Oscar De La Hoya.

Shane’s world revolved around Jack. And vice versa.

But that seemed to change in recent fights, Shane said. Jack began to spend more time in the music business, becoming partners in a venture to start a record label.

“He got into music and other things that kind of affected me as a fighter,” Shane said. “You need your attention to be at 100% at this level and his was not.”

With his career on the wane, Shane said he thought he needed more from his corner than he was getting. After suffering the first two losses of his career, to Vernon Forrest, Mosley bounced back to win the De La Hoya rematch. But then, last March, Mosley lost a unanimous decision to super-welterweight Winky Wright. Determined to get an immediate rematch, which will be held Saturday at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center, Mosley knew he would have to improve dramatically.

He weighed the option of bringing in another trainer to work with his father.

“I knew I couldn’t really do that,” Mosley said. “My dad was used to having 100% control.”

And so, after the Wright fight, Mosley informed his father that he was being replaced.

Jack denied that he lost focus on his son’s career.

“I tried to shield him from the people who were trying to influence him once he became a champion, and, because of that, I’m the bad guy,” Jack said. “All I was trying to do was protect my son. And suddenly, I’m the guy with the big ego. It was a surprise when Shane told me. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t.

“It’s like the story of King Solomon and the two women who were claiming the same baby. King Solomon said he’d cut the baby in two and give each woman half. One woman said, ‘No, give her the baby.’ That lady was the natural mother who didn’t want to see the baby harmed. In my case, I stepped away from my son because I didn’t want to see him harmed by distractions. I don’t want to be a distraction to him in any way.

“If the changes are better for him, so be it. I’m not going to be bitter, because he’s my son, my only son.”

Jack said he had not ruled being reunited with Shane in the ring.

“This can still be temporary,” he said. “If Shane wants me to train him again, I will train him.”

Shane hired Joe Goossen, who began training fighters in a makeshift gym in his family’s North Hollywood backyard more than two decades ago and has had success with boxers such as Michael Nunn, Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas, Joel Casamayor and Diego Corrales.

Still, getting a world-class fighter such as Mosley moves Goossen to a higher plateau.

“Who doesn’t dream of coaching the Lakers, or of managing the Yankees?” Goossen said. “I was thrilled to death to get Shane Mosley. But after that initial enthusiasm wears off, you still have to work hard to make sure he wins.”

Although Jack was no longer around, would his influence linger? Would his shadow remain in the gym? Everything Shane had done in boxing was designed by his father. Would he hit his new trainer with a wave of skepticism? Would he say, over and over, my dad never did this, my dad never said that?

Goossen didn’t worry.

“I never got into that,” he said. “We were starting with a whole new slate because Shane trusted me.”

Said Shane: “Joe has helped me get back to the things I used to do. He has given me back my positive outlook.”

But still, it wasn’t so easy to turn away from Jack. There were the understandable hurt feelings, but talking about it this week in Goossen’s Van Nuys gym as he prepared to head for Las Vegas, Shane expressed satisfaction with the way it has turned out.

“Emotionally, my father is a strong human being,” he said. “I commend him for being a great father. We feel very comfortable together now.”

While Shane has clicked with Goossen, Jack has found a balance in his two passions. He is training light-heavyweight Paul Briggs, the No. 1 contender in the World Boxing Council, and two other fighters out of his Pomona gym. But Jack is also promoting his Mo-Swing record label.

“Everything is good,” Jack said.

“My father loves his music,” Shane said. “He loves to sing. Having just turned 60, he’s entitled to do whatever he wants to do in life. I’m happy that he has the opportunity for that.”

So now there is peace in the family?

“There was always peace in the family,” Shane said. “And now we are stronger because we have separated the family from boxing.”

Shane attended a surprise 60th birthday party for his father last week.

And yes, Jack will be ringside Saturday night, no longer a manager, no longer a trainer, but still a devoted, optimistic father.

“Shane has been boxing since he was 8,” Jack said. “He knows what to do. He has to go back to the things he did in the past and he’ll be OK, stay with what he has worked on over the years. He can’t change his style now. He just needs to be busier in the ring. And he is in good hands. Joe is a good motivator.”

So how will Jack feel being a spectator?

“The main thing,” he said, “is that Shane wins the fight.”