Shock defeat for Moore

05 June 2008 – by Cormac Campbell

James Moore saw his dreams of a 2008 world light-middleweight title shot crumble on Wednesday night after he was outpointed by the unheralded Gabriel Rosado in New York.

30-year-old Moore went in to the ESPN televised bout as a clear favourite, with fans and pundits alike beginning to get behind the former amateur standout.

But over eight rounds the New York based star looked lethargic and far from the form that built a 15-0 record.

Moore started brightly enough before Rosado came on strong in the fourth session, dropping him in the fifth.

Make no mistake, the bout was closer than the 78-73, 77-74 and 76-74 scorecards, but Moore can have little complaint over the result.

However, on the bright side for Moore, he may now find that now that his undefeated record his gone the fighters who have ducked him in the past may be more willing to fight him, meaning he still has a route to the top.