The controversial and anticlimactic ending of the first fight between Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas in February, in which Mosley received a 10th round TKO win when it was decided that Vargas could not continue because of a severely swollen left eye, has brought us to the rematch Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

As in the poorly hyped and only mildly entertaining first bout which was uncreativley dubbed by HBO "Showdown", part two between these two popular California warriors is uninspiringly christened "The Rematch". In a fight where revenue far exceeded expectations, a rematch seemed economically advantageous for all involved; the lack of the bout's closure due to the closure of Vargas' eye meant that it was bound to happen, despite the fact that the first fight was not particularly special. Nonetheless, it is an oppurtunity for Mosley to stop Vargas definitvely, Vargas to prove Mosley wrong, and Las Vegas to cash in on it all. The unfinished business of Mosley-Vargas II is as much about the money to be made as it is about settling a fistic score.

"Sugar" Shane Mosley 42-4 (36), is reunited with his father, trainer Jack Mosley, after the fighter fired him before his second fight against Winky Wright. The move has the potential of reinvigorating Mosley for this fight; while he looked sharp under John David Jackson's tutelage, Mosley has yet to look like the Mosley of old that dominated lightweight and welterweight. When I asked Mosley during an ESPN internet chat if he was trying to knock out Vargas by planting his feet and throwing more powerpunches instead of boxing and throwing more combinations, Mosley responded that he wanted to prove that he could thrive in a bigger weight class against a big puncher. Mosley, who plans on returning once again to the welterweight division, would make a big statement with his fists if he is able to knock Vargas out in the rematch.

Fernando Vargas, 26-3 (22), did not win himself any new fans by insisting that the swollen left eye caused by Mosley's right hand in the first round was caused by a headbutt; he may not need to, as Vargas' legion of supporters are amongst boxing's most loyal. But in order for Vargas to salvage a career which has been riddled by injuries and devestating knockout losses to Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya, he must bring out the Ferocious side of his character and stop Mosley - a decision victory will not suffice. Vargas is clearly the more faded of the two fighters, but he still has a power and size advantage (at 5'10" he is at least two inches taller than Mosley, whose listing at 5'9" is questionable) to cause Mosley to be cautious. Vargas must engage and use his jab instead of mauling and holding Mosley and then accusing his opponent of doing the same. The psychological advantage goes to Mosley, who, already armed with the knowledge that he has the ability to stop Vargas, will be looking to punctuate his last fight at 154 with an emphatic victory. Vargas, on the other hand, seems less fired up and more content with collecting another paycheck, with his incessant harping about Mosley's headbutting and how he was winning the first fight at the time of the stoppage, a delusional claim at best.

Mosley has the rematch experience versus Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright, and although he lost all four of those fights, he was markedly improved in their sequels. That's not good news for Vargas. But it could be great news for fight fans, especially those who feel that Mosley-Vargas I did not live up to expectations.

Prediction: Mosley KO 9