How quickly we forget. It was only seven months ago that Sugar Shane Mosley was boxing's Superman. A fighter without a weakness. A candidate for all-time greatness. Whomever didn't have Felix Trinidad atop their pound for pound list, had Shane Mosley there. What a difference a fight makes.

The Vernon Forrest-Mosley rematch is fast approaching and everyone I talk to seems to think that Mosley is doomed. I too like Forrest to retain the welterweight title. Mosley's chances however, should not be too easily dismissed.

Having watched Forrest give Mosley a beating in January, I acknowledge that it is difficult to imagine the tables turning when they meet again two Saturdays from now. Difficult, but not impossible.

In the first place, Mosley won the first round of their first fight, and was fighting well in the second round before a hard clash of heads sent both fighters reeling. Although it was Forrest who appeared to be more shaken by the collision than Mosley, it was Sugar Shane whose blood was drawn, and Shane was was knocked down for the first time in his career moments later.

Mosley picked himself off the deck twice in that second round. He survived Forrest's onslaught and came back to make the fight competitive through the middle rounds, even winning a few of them before Forrest brutalized him again -- this time to the body in the 10th.

Forrest did not knock Mosley out. The Viper has been telling people in the press that he purposely carried Mosley the distance in order to punish him, but the truth is that Mosley went the distance because of his incredible heart and pride. He refused to be taken out.

Sugar Ray Robinson was undefeated in title fights before he lost his middleweight crown to Randy Turpin. Sugar Ray Leonard was undefeated in his professional career until he lost his welterweight title to Roberto Duran. Both Robinson and Leonard won their titles back in immediate rematches from the men who had vanquished them.

Like Robinson and Leonard, Shane wanted and got an immediate rematch with his conqueror. Mosley, however, may face the most daunting revenge assignment of any of the Sugars when he squares off once again with Forrest.

Going into the rematch with Turpin, Sugar Ray Robinson was faced with a young, awkward and naturally larger opponent. But it was also an opponent who was not in Robinson's league in terms of amateur and professional pedigree. Robinson wasn't beaten by the pound-for-pound heir apparent; he simply ran into a guy whose style presented problems. Turpin gave Robinson problems in their rematch, too -- until Sugar Ray knocked him out.

Going into his rematch with Duran, Leonard was faced with an already-established all-time great, seemingly in his prime. The truth, however, was that after Duran beat Leonard in their first fight he had some kind of complete ego satisfaction, and was simply never again the fighter he had been. The last moment of the first Leonard fight marked the end of Duran's prime. He was out of shape and underprepared, both physically and mentally, for the rematch, and Leonard humiliated him into defeat.

Going into his rematch with Forrest, Mosley is faced with a prime fighting machine. At six feet, Forrest is several inches taller than Shane. Forrest has a longer reach, and from the looks of their first fight, more punching power in both hands. Forrest has as good an amateur pedigree as Mosley, and is undefeated as a professional. He will be at least as prepared as he was for their first encounter.

A rematch win for Shane is not impossible, it will just be extremely difficult. He must contend with Vernon's right cross, which dropped him for the first time in his career, Vernon's right uppercut, which dropped him for the second time in his career and Vernon's left hook to the body, which landed with such authority that Shane cried out in pain, his father ready to jump into the ring to save him.

Shane must contend with Vernon's height and reach and left jab and overall boxing ability. Shane must be creative, as Robinson was when, on his way to another possible decision loss, he went berserk on Turpin. As Leonard was creative when he finally realized that the road to victory against Duran lead not through Duran's flesh, but through his pride.

Shane must do whatever is necessary, because it will take nothing less than that to beat the magnificent Vernon Forrest. Hey, you call yourself Sugar, this is the life you chose. It is a name worth fighting for.

Max Kellerman is a studio analyst for ESPN2's Friday Night Fights.