shane mosley jr is back in a main event on Sunday night, facing Serhii Bohachuk in a middleweight bout at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Paramount+. It is his first main event since 2018, and the winner is expected to improve his position for a Zuffa belt and a run of bigger fights.
Mosley Jr. at Meta Apex
Mosley Jr., 35, called the opportunity a sign that Zuffa believes he belongs in the slot. “I fought for a world title last time. For [Zuffa] to say, ‘We believe in you, we believe you’re a main event with us,’ I’m so excited, and so thankful for Zuffa and Bohachuk. What an incredible opportunity,” he said.
He has not headlined since meeting Brandon Adams on The Contender in 2018. This fight also comes after a December unanimous decision loss to Jesus Ramos Jnr for the WBC interim middleweight title, a bout scored 117-111, 116-112 and 117-111.
Jesus Ramos Jnr and the reset
Mosley Jr. said he felt he needed to box Ramos more and not let the bout turn into a brawl. “I feel like I needed to box him more. I let him get me into a brawl. If I had stayed boxing him, I feel I would have won,” he said. He added that he was “very close to winning a world championship” and believes a few adjustments can change the result next time.
He enters with a 22-5 record and 12 knockouts. Bohachuk brings a 27-3 mark with 24 knockouts, which gives the matchup a sharp contrast between Mosley Jr.’s cleaner path and Bohachuk’s power numbers.
Shane Mosley Snr. and the long route
The main event carries extra weight for Mosley Jr. because of what his father’s 2000 win over Oscar De La Hoya meant to him. “That fight changed my life,” he said, adding that after the Staples Center win “everyone knew who ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley was.”
He also said he had not been fighting regularly and had stretches of more than 10 months between bouts. Mosley Jr. said he expects Zuffa to keep him more active on a regular schedule, and that he met Zuffa brass and attended one of its cards at the Meta Apex a few months ago.
For Mosley Jr., Sunday is not just another date on the calendar. It is a chance to turn a long wait for a top spot into a second straight step toward relevance in a division where the winner can move quickly into the title picture.
