By Ronnie Nathanielsz

SUGAR Shane Mosley scored perhaps the sweetest victory of his career?a ninth-round TKO win to capture the World Boxing Association welterweight title from 4-1 favorite Antonio Margarito of Mexico before nearly 29,000 fans at the famed Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Sunday morning (Manila time).

Throughout the fight telecast by Solar Sports, Mosley, whose supporters were overwhelmed by the pro-Mexican crowd, shrugged off the odds and the lingering controversy over his alleged use of steroids years ago, to carve his name in boxing history as one of the legitimate greats. He has previously beaten Oscar de la Hoya twice, the first time in 2000 at the same venue.

The end came at 23 seconds of Round 9, when referee Raul Caiz Sr. stepped in to call a halt just as a towel from Margarito?s corner came floating through the air and landed on the canvas.

It was evident that the end was near in the eighth round, where Mosley nailed Margarito with a cracking left hook and then hammered him with a flurry of unanswered punches that staggered the champion, who was saved by the bell and wobbled back to his corner.

At that point, his cornermen wanted to stop the fight but the gallant Mexican wanted to go on.

Sensing he had him for the taking, Mosley waded in relentlessly and pulverized Margarito, catching him with another vicious left hook and a brutal right which had done the damage all night long, to end the Mexican?s misery.

The fight proved that both Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach were perfectly right when they had Margarito in their sights despite the Mexican?s advantages of height, weight and reach, realizing that the Pacman overcame similar odds to stop De la Hoya in eight rounds, although the Golden Boy at this point in his career cannot be considered alongside Margarito.