LAS VEGAS -- It is still unknown if bigger is better for Shane Mosley, or whether Raul Marquez could have pulled off a tremendous upset Saturday night.

The only thing fight fans learned from the three rounds the two junior middleweights fought at the Mandalay Bay Events Center was something they already knew -- Marquez cuts easily.

The bout was Mosley's first at 154 pounds and it was the first time Marquez had been in the ring with a world class fighter since he lost to Fernando Vargas in 1999. Both men had questions that needed to be answered if they hoped to secure a lucrative payday versus the division's champ, Oscar De La Hoya. However, the fight never really began as the two clashed heads in the second and third rounds, opening deep cuts over both of Marquez's eyes.

With blood pouring over half his face from the first cut, Marquez became frustrated after the second headbutt and turned away from what had been some fairly decent action. Referee Kenny Bayless led Marquez to the ringside doctor, who quickly deemed the former champion unable to continue. Nevada rules state that a bout must go four rounds for a decision to be rendered, so the fight went into the books as a "no decision."

"I'm a little disappointed," Marquez said. "I thought my power and strength was getting to him. He never hurt me. It's sad it had to end this way."

From the first two rounds, it appeared the crowd of around 4,000 was going to be treated to a good bout.

Mosley, still 38-2 (35 by knockout), boxed well from behind a lightening-quick jab in the first round, but he planted his feet long enough to drop a few blistering straight rights to win the round on all three of the judges' scorecards.

Perhaps encouraged that Mosley was unable to hurt him in the opening three minutes, Marquez (34-2, 23 KOs) forced Mosley back in the second round, landing heavy looping shots to the former light- and welterweight champ's body and head. Marquez won the second round on all three scorecards.

Marquez caught Mosley with some good shots at the start of the third, but the smaller man was not discouraged, rushing him with wild lefts and rights. Mosley's effort was enough to impress HBO color commentator George Foreman, but Marquez was far from awed.

"He never hit me with a clean shot that hurt me," Marquez said. "I was in this fight. I was the stronger guy in there. I was backing him up and I landed some good shots."

Marquez was still little angry about the headbutts, which looked accidental in replays.

"Shane will admit this," Marquez said. "The first headbutt was his fault. The second headbutt was probably my fault. If it was up to me I would not have stopped fighting. You know me, I'm a warrior. Blood is nothing to me. I bled all night versus Keith Mullings. It was just the headbutts, which happen when you have a lefty and righty."

True, but all the marks on the battered face of Marquez were not caused by Mosley's forehead. Mosley was also able to frequently tag Marquez with his fists. He landed 34 percent of his total punches (35 of 103), and a whopping 50 percent (30 of 60) of his power shots. Marquez, by contrast, landed just 16 percent of the total punches he threw (19 of 116) and only 26 percent of his power shots (16 of 62).

"I didn't like the way the fight ended," Mosley said. "I guess our styles were not complimentary. But, in a few more rounds it would have ended by a KO in my favor."

The betting public agreed, making Mosley a 10-1 favorite by fight night. Although Mosley was riding a two-fight losing streak coming into this fight and Marquez had won four in a row following his loss to Vargas, most observers thought the 24 losing rounds that Mosley engaged with Vernon Forrest were better than the 24 winning rounds that Marquez fought with journeymen Rob Bleakley, Tony Menefee, Roberto Baro and Anthony Brooks.

Marquez would like rematch. Mosley would like a rematch, too -- but with De La Hoya. However, "Sugar Shane" wants $8 million, so negotiations for De La Hoya-Mosley II are still deadlocked.

If Mosley cannot work things out with De La Hoya's promoter, Bob Arum, look for him to fight again in spring, against a 154-pound contender. Mosley said he would like to fight a belt-holder like IBF titlist Winky Wright or WBO champ Daniel Santos in the fall.

Six heads, no chins
In the co-featured bout, Antonio Margarito improved to 28-3 (19 KOs) with a brutal stoppage of Andrew "Six Heads" Lewis in the second round of their scheduled 12 for Margarito's WBO welterweight title.

After dropping the first round to the busier Lewis, Margarito caught the former WBA titlist with a stunning right uppercut in the middle of the second round. Margarito followed up with a straight right that backed Lewis into the ropes, where he absorbed a devastating left uppercut and another right hand. Margarito continued to tee off on the unconscious fighter until referee Joe Cortez finally decided that he'd seen enough and stepped between them at 2:31 of the second round.

"I just got caught," Lewis said after the fight was stopped.

After the fight, Margarito and his cornermen put on T-shirts that had a picture of WBA/WBC champ Ricardo Mayorga on them. The T-shirts read: "Wanted: Mayorga". That says it all.

That unification fight would be a real treat for hard-core boxing fans and it would drive Latino fans completely insane, but don't expect it to happen any time soon, as Margarito is promoted by Arum and Mayorga is one of Don King's men.