In a small gymnasium setting in front of a few hundred people in Los Angeles, Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya met for the first time inside a boxing ring. The year was 1981.

Nineteen years later in front of 17,000 people in Los Angeles at the Staples Center, Mosley and De La Hoya met once again, with worldwide reputations, new glittery nicknames and millions of dollars at stake.

Now, for the third time, the two Southern California natives will meet once again, probably for the last time at the MGM Grand Resort and Casino in Las Vegas Saturday. Millions will watch the battle for the WBC and WBA junior middleweight crowns between Sugar Shane and the Golden Boy.

"I've always known Shane is a great fighter," said De La Hoya, 30. "Even when people didn't know who he was, I knew how good he was."

De La Hoya grew up in the streets of East Los Angeles where street gangs out-number Little League baseball teams 100 to 1. In his old neighborhood, a few blocks from Griffith Junior High, at least five major gangs exist in a mile radius including Arizona Mara, Marianna Mara, Varrio Nuevo de Estrada Courts, El Hoyo Mara and East L.A. Mara.

Though De La Hoya lived in the middle of a near civil war between the gangs who were battling continuously at that time, it was boxing that kept the innocent looking youngster from being a casualty.

"He was boxing when he was just a little guy," said Joel De La Hoya Jr., Oscar's older brother. "He was always really good. He was always better than me. He was a natural."

Despite a lack of desire for the sport, De La Hoya amassed an amateur record of 200 wins and only five losses in 12 years. His accomplishments were legendary in the barrios of East Los Angeles.

"People knew who Oscar De La Hoya was," said Arturo Sanchez, who lives one block from Garfield High. "I didn't know what he looked like until the Olympics, but we had heard about him. Like when he beat the Russians."

After a year of tutelage and amateur fights, De La Hoya and Mosley met with about the same amount of experience. Though Mosley was a year older, it wasn't much of an advantage.

"Shane always loved to box," said Jack Mosley, Shane's father and trainer. "Ever since he was a little guy he loved to put on the gloves. I never pushed him."

Growing up in Pomona, Mosley was always smaller than the other kids, but speed and natural athletic ability proved to be an equalizer. He won more than 200 amateur fights with dazzling speed and a courage and ferocity that quickly garnered a reputation as someone to avoid.

"Even when Shane was young nobody wanted to fight him," said Lee Espinoza, who trains fighters in Coachella and whose son was one of the few to beat Mosley in an amateur match. "He was always very fast."

With lightning speed and a burning desire to prove his worth in the boxing ring, Mosley boxed against professionals like Genaro "Chicanito" Hernandez, Zack Padilla and Hector Lopez in East Los Angeles gyms if he couldn't find sparring in Pomona or La Habra. His sparring sessions were legendary among the fight crowd.

"I always knew when Shane Mosley was in shape by the power in his punches," said Hernandez, a former junior lightweight champion who lost only three times, once to De La Hoya. "He has a different kind of speed."

In 1992, when the Olympic amateur boxing trials began, Mosley was the world amateur champion at junior welterweight and a favorite to make the U.S. team. But a match against Vernon Forrest proved to be the speed bump that derailed Mosley's quest for Olympic gold and a lucrative pro career.

"I remember sitting in Shane's garage looking at a De La Hoya fight on television and telling Shane that's going to be you some day," said David Arroyo, a former publicist for Mosley during his transition from amateur to pro. "I told him we're going to remember this day and laugh."

While De La Hoya emerged as the only gold medal winner for the United States in Barcelona, Mosley was forced to begin his life as a professional boxer. But there were no glittery lights, media buildup or lucrative contracts.

"He used to drive this old car that was always breaking down," said Arroyo. "It was funny because I knew he was the best fighter in the world but nobody else knew."

Mosley's road to stardom led him through a steep climb against hardnosed veterans, foul-laden fighters and eager opponents trying to win at any cost against him.

"People don't know how hard it was for Shane in the beginning. Shane never complains," said Jack Mosley. "He was fighting the toughest guys around."

Some of the fighters Sugar Shane fought were Greg Puente, Oscar Lopez, Mauro Gutierrez and Manuel Gomez, all tough little-known fighters who would give any world ranked fighter fits.

After De La Hoya beat fellow Los Angeles fighter Rafael Ruelas for the IBF lightweight title in 1995, the East Los Angeles fighter was asked if there is anyone else as talented. His answer: "Shane Mosley. Oh he's a great fighter. Mark my words, people are going to know about him," said De La Hoya during a press conference for his fight against Jesse James Leija. No one knew Shane Mosley at the time.

With movie star looks, a ready smile and lightning in his fists, De La Hoya moved quickly to the top of the boxing world by beating Julio Cesar Chavez, Miguel Angel Gonzalez and Pernell Whitaker. When The Ring magazine ratings were announced for the new king of the Pound for Pound listings, De La Hoya was tabbed as number one in 1996 and held that honor for four consecutive years.

In 1999, after De La Hoya had enjoyed a long recognition period as the best fighter in the world by capturing the lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight titles, along came undefeated Felix Trinidad who owned the other welterweight title. They collided in September 1999 and De La Hoya tasted his first defeat, albeit a curious loss by decision.

"I thought Oscar won that fight easy," said Mosley, 32. "I had Oscar winning nine rounds to three."

Because of the defeat, De La Hoya embarked on a quest to recapture his status and needed a worthy opponent to convince the world he was still the best fighter in the world. In stepped Mosley.

On June 17, 2000, a few days after the Los Angeles Lakers captured the first of three world championship titles, Mosley and De La Hoya fought for the WBC welterweight belt.

After 12 furious rounds of eye-popping combinations and defensive maneuvering that would have been the envy of a chess master, Mosley pulled out a split-decision victory over De La Hoya and was announced as the new best fighter Pound for Pound by the Ring and others.

A rematch was proposed, but the two Southern California champions could not agree on terms. Thus Mosley fought Antonio Diaz, Shannon Taylor and Adrian Stone before meeting Vernon Forrest, the man who knocked him out of the Olympics 10 years earlier. Once again, Forrest derailed Mosley who had been recognized as the best fighter in the world for two years. And once again Mosley needs to prove his talent all over again.

Inside his head are hazy memories of that fight against De La Hoya that took place in the tiny gym two decades ago. But he remembers.

"I know how to beat Oscar De La Hoya," Mosley said a few weeks ago, sitting in his Big Bear cabin.

A few blocks away, De La Hoya sat on his boxing ring, looking at a piece of paper with four names written hastily on a piece of butcher paper. One of the names was Shane Mosley.

"It's all about revenge," De La Hoya said.

Even after 22 years, it still goes back to that afternoon in a Los Angeles gymnasium.