BOXING: SUGAR-SWEET DECISION MOSLEY OUTPOINTS COLLAZO FOR BELT.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES

Staff Writer

LAS VEGAS -- "Sugar" Shane Mosley talked as if he had found the secret to eternal youth during a conference call last week. He said he was so fast at the age of 35 that it was scary.

Perhaps Mosley has taken a drink from the fountain of youth.

Utilizing a combination of lightning speed, ring savvy and power, Mosley won the World Boxing Council interim welterweight belt with a unanimous decision over Luis Collazo in front of a crowd of 5,761 Saturday at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

Mosley won by scores of 119-108, 118-109 and 118-109.

Collazo figured being a so-called "slick southpaw" might prove problematic for Mosley, who is an orthodox fighter. But it was Mosley who was the slicker of the two. He spun away from trouble with deft moves, slipped inside for quick shots to the body without suffering much in the way of consequences and smashed Collazo repeatedly with a hard right cross to the head.

Collazo (27-3) had a few good moments on the occasional left cross; but he was simply outclassed by Mosley, who had already won world championships in the lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight divisions.

"I hurt my left hand in the third round," Collazo, 25, of Brooklyn said. "I hurt it in training camp. I wish I could have been more effective, but that was the best I could do."

Collazo didn't exactly bestow a heap of praise on Mosley.

"Shane came to fight," Collazo said. "He did his job."

Better put, Mosley did a job on Collazo.

Whereas it was Collazo who seemed to confuse Ricky Hatton when he nearly beat Hatton lastMay, Saturday it was Mosley who was perplexing Collazo with his skills. Mosley dropped Collazo with a chopping righthand near the end of the 11thround. Collazo absorbed the punch, tried to stay on his feet but fell to the canvas after backstepping several feet.

"Collazo is a tough fighter, a warrior," Mosley said. "I knew I was faster than him, and I could hit him with a quick jab. It felt good to be a welterweight again. I felt very light on my feet."

It had been four years and seven months since Mosley had fought at the 147-pound welterweight limit; but two of his fights in 2005 were at 148pounds.

Mosley, who recently brought back his father Jack into his corner as trainer, said last week he wants to fight until he is in his 40s. At the time, Jack Mosley laughed off that statement. The way Shane Mosley looked Saturday, that scenario doesn't seem too far out of the realm of possibility.

"I just want to keep working and stay tuned," said Mosley, who is 44-4. "I plan to fight again in June."

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the WBC champion at this weight. But once he steps into the ring to take on Oscar De La Hoya on May 5 at super welterweight, Mayweather will lose his belt and Mosley will become champion.

Vivian Harris, a former World Boxing Association super lightweight champion, earned the right to fight for the WBC super lightweight belt by winning a unanimous decision over Juan Lazcano in the undercard.

Harris won the title-elimination fight by scores of 115-112, 115-112 and 114-113.

"Lazcano is a tough fighter, so I prepared very hard for this," said Harris, 28, of Brooklyn. He is 28-2-1.

Lazcano, of El Paso, Texas, had a point deducted for a low blow in the 12th and final round. He gave Harris his due, but he said he expected to be announced as the winner. He did his best work on the inside, where he landed hard body shots and short uppercuts to the head.

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"Sugar" Shane Mosley knocks down Luis Collazo near the end of the 11th round Saturday.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News