The rematch carried enormous significance. Forrest defended each the WBC and Ring Magazine welterweight championships after taking them from Mosley of their first meeting earlier within the 12 months in January 2002. Many believed Mosley would make the crucial adjustments and reclaim the titles, while Forrest had the chance to prove the upset had not been a one-night performance.
The event attracted 15,775 fans, the most important crowd to attend a boxing card in Indiana history on the time. HBO televised the championship bout nationally, and each fighters earned career-high paydays. Forrest received $3.42 million, while Mosley collected $2.8 million. Veteran referee Laurence Cole officiated the 12-round title fight.
Mosley got here out aggressively, seeking to erase the frustration of the primary bout by forcing exchanges from the opening bell. Forrest refused to be drawn right into a firefight. Standing three inches taller with the longer reach, he established his jab early, circled effectively and answered Mosley’s rushes with sharp counters before tying him up every time the motion moved inside.
Because the rounds progressed, Forrest steadily took control. Forrest repeatedly stabbed Mosley with the jab before tying him up every time the challenger got close, forcing Mosley to reset his offense again and again. Referee Laurence Cole was forced to separate the fighters throughout the competition because the tactical battle became increasingly physical.
The center rounds lacked sustained motion, drawing boos from portions of the gang, but Forrest remained committed to the sport plan. One report even noted that a fight within the stands throughout the sixth round briefly attracted as much attention because the motion contained in the ring.
Mosley increased the pressure throughout the championship rounds, finally producing several spirited exchanges within the tenth. Forrest answered with crisp counterpunching and finished strongly, landing several hard right hands late within the eleventh before boxing confidently through the ultimate round. There have been no knockdowns, but Forrest consistently landed the cleaner, simpler punches.
CompuBox statistics reflected the tactical nature of the competition. Forrest landed 120 of 446 punches, while Mosley connected on 114 of 259, with Forrest’s jab, timing and ring control outweighing Mosley’s higher connect percentage.
Judges Gary Merritt (117-111), Tony Castellano (116-112) and Jerry Roth (115-113) all favored Forrest. HBO unofficial scorer Harold Lederman and several other media scorecards also had Forrest winning, confirming that his first victory had been no accident.
The rematch closed the book on one in all the era’s most compelling rivalries. Forrest had defeated Mosley twice as knowledgeable after also beating him throughout the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials, establishing a rare mastery over one in all boxing’s best fighters.
Mosley later captured world titles in higher weight classes, while Forrest continued his championship run before unifying the welterweight division. Greater than 20 years later, the rematch stays one in all the signature victories of Forrest’s Hall of Fame profession, removing any doubt that his success against Mosley was built on superior technique moderately than surprise.
