The rematch is finally here!

	It's been a while since Mosley really had something to celebrate.

Oscar De La Hoya-Sugar Shane Mosley Part I was, all things considered, the greatest fight of this young century. Before you start screaming about Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward I, Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales I, and maybe even James Toney-Vassily Jirov, let me explain.

De La Hoya-Mosley was not quite the action fight those other classics were, but it wasn't far off either, and it was contested on a higher level. It featured two great, versatile champions in their physical primes, going back and forth in a true modern-day epic, replete with exquisite boxing, electric combination punching and shifts in momentum throughout.

And the rematch promises more of the same.

For Oscar this is personal. He needs to avenge his loss to Shane, the only indisputable loss of his pro career. Shane needs this win to retain -- perhaps to regain -- his status as an elite fighter. Not since Donald Curry in the mid-1980s has a fighter seemingly so close to perfection seen his star fall so fast. The parallels between Sugar Shane and "The Lone Star Cobra" are, in fact, striking.

On the eve of his title defense against Lloyd Honeyghan, 16 Septembers ago, Curry was the undefeated welterweight champion of the world. He was considered by many the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing. Honeyghan was also undefeated going into the fight, but he was not considered in Curry's class.

Honeyghan was still undefeated coming out of the fight. Curry wasn't.

On the eve of his first fight with Vernon Forrest in January 2001, Mosley was the undefeated welterweight champion of the world. He was considered by many the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing. Forrest was also undefeated going into the fight, but he was not considered in Mosley's class.

Forrest was still undefeated coming out of the fight. Mosley wasn't.

After his loss to Honeyghan, Curry did not appear to most to be the same fighter he had been before the loss. He failed to cleanly win either of his next two fights, the second of which came against Carlos Santos, who had been a junior middleweight belt holder. Curry was beating Santos, but things got rough. In the fifth round, Santos was disqualified.

After his loss to Forrest, Mosley did not appear to most to be the same fighter he had been before the loss. He failed to win either of his next two fights, the second of which came against Raul Marquez, who had been a junior middleweight belt holder. Mosley was beating Marquez, but they accidentally clashed heads and Marquez's cut ended the fight in a No Contest.

After Santos, Curry was the favorite going in against the reigning 154-pound champ and future Hall of Famer, Mike McCallum ...

After Marquez, Mosley is the underdog going in against reigning 154-pound champ and future Hall of Famer, Oscar De La Hoya ...

In an excellent action fight he was winning, Curry was caught by a vicious McCallum left hook in the fifth and knocked out.

Oscar's left hook is his best punch.

Curry was never the same after his loss to Honeyghan, but it was after his loss to McCallum that his recognition as an elite fighter -- a top 10 pound-for-pound type -- left, never to return. And while the losses to Forrest certainly hurt Mosley, a loss to De La Hoya, especially a decisive one, could end his days as an elite fighter for good.

Hell of a parallel-ogram, huh? Let's do one for Oscar ...

In 1980, Sugar Ray Leonard was boxing's Golden Boy and welterweight champion of the world. Lightweight champ Roberto Duran moved up and took Leonard's title after a classic back-and-forth fight that went the distance. The fight was announced as a majority decision for Duran, but there was no doubt he won.

In 2000, Oscar De La Hoya was boxing's Golden Boy and welterweight champion of the world. Lightweight champ Shane Mosley moved up and took Oscar's title after a classic back-and-forth fight that went the distance. The fight was announced as a split decision for Mosley, but there was no doubt he won.

Had Leonard not beaten Duran in their rematch, we would not slot Sugar Ray today in the upper echelon, all time. It is unlikely, even if Oscar beats Shane, that he will be remembered as among the very greatest ever, but certainly a second loss to Mosley damages his legacy.

Oscar is fighting for that legacy, and Shane is fighting for his livelihood. This is a must-win for both fighters, and a must-see for everyone else.

Max Kellerman is a studio analyst for ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights" and the host of the show "Around The Horn."