Shane Mosley, one of boxing’s all-time greats, is set to return to the ring after an eight-year absence. The former welterweight champion, who last fought in 2016 and retired in 2017 following complications from elbow surgery, will face Bob Kofroth in an exhibition match on September 28, 2024, at Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack. Though this is part of a celebrity boxing event, fans have expressed mixed reactions, with many voicing concerns about Mosley’s decision to step back into the “squared circle”.

Shane Mosley returns to the ring

The former three-division world champion is set to make his return in the squared circle on September 28, 2024, against Bob Kofroth in an exhibition match at a Celebrity Boxing event in Philadelphia. Kofroth is a boxing trainer and has been active for several years now and is the owner and head coach of Elite Edge Boxing & Jiu-Jitsu in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

The official poster of the fight posted by Celebrity Boxinh featured ‘Sugar’ and Kofroth and details of the fight. TrillerTV will stream the fight live at 7:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) from Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack in Philadelphia. At this point, finer details about the fight have not been disclosed. But considering the nature of the fight, the fight will be shorter than a traditional boxing match with possibly 8 rounds of 2 minutes each. Both boxers might use larger gloves to control the damage and often these matches do not have any winners. The main focus of these fights is entertainment, though a panel might be there to determine the winner of the match.

There are several worrisome things regarding Mosley’s return and things that can go wrong in the ring. And the fans made sure to cite their opinions on the post and even termed the comeback fight as a ‘disgrace.’

A mixed bag of reactions

Mosley has a long list of injuries in his 23-year-long career. The lengthy and botched elbow surgery in 2016 resulted in a severe infection for him, ultimately forcing his retirement. A fan remembering Sugar’s injury history wrote, “This is a disgrace that Shane Mosley can’t even pronounce a good sentence,” while being worried about all the possibilities of aggravating old injuries and sustaining a new one. Mosley is 53 years old now, and there is no doubt in the fact that he will not be the same boxer anymore. His speed, stamina, and reflexes must have suffered exponentially, and that increases the risk of injuries even with extra protection.

Participating in an exhibition match after such an illustrious career will also put the 49-10 boxer’s legacy in question. A fan with the same opinion wrote, “Absolutely not Shane,’ begging the former world champion to not tarnish his legacy.

While others were worried about Mosley’s health, one fan had problems with the graphics in question as he wrote, “Switch the names Shane name goes 1st we know who he is he is A side all day the other dude 🤨😒😒😒🤷🏿‍♂️Who is he to be the 1st name we see on a fight card.” The fan was furious because they mentioned Kofroth’s name before Mosley’s, and he considered it a disgrace given everything the 53-year-old boxer has accomplished in his career.

In a sea of criticism and disappointment, few fans supported this decision by the California resident. A fan hyped up about the fight showed her excitement as she wrote, “DOPE 💪🏽👑♥️🤗🙏🏽 LOVE THIS SS!!!” appreciating the poster shared by celebrity boxing. 

One fan wrote, “Great suger Shane‼️ Please treat Him so tender,” still believing in Mosley’s capability. According to the fan, Mosley is the clear favorite in the fight but that might not be the case as the former great has not stepped into the ring for 8 years now, meanwhile, Kofroth has been active in combat sports consistently and has sharpened his skills while training others.

What do you think about the return of Shane Mosley in the ring? Is it worth it to put his legacy and health in danger for one more fight? Let us know your thoughts down below.