POUND-FOR-POUND king Manny Pacquiao will be a heavy favorite when he enters the ring on Sunday (Manila time) to defend his WBO welterweight title against former three-time champion Shane Mosley, who, at one time in his career, was being compared to the great Sugar Ray Robinson.
Mosley then had a record of 30-0 with 28 knockouts and reigned as IBF lightweight champ after dethroning South Africa’s Philip Holiday by a 12-round unanimous decision.
But he has come a long way since, and the fact that he is facing the “Fighter of the Decade” puts an exclamation mark on his career.
At age 39, the two facets of Mosley’s skill, speed and power have diminished through the years and he is not the fighter he was 14 years ago when he fought Holiday.
On the other hand, Pacquiao has not only honed his skills in remarkable fashion under celebrated trainer Freddie Roach. He also has acquired unbelievable power and explosiveness since strength and conditioning guru Alex Ariza joined his camp two weeks before the lightweight battle against WBC champion David Diaz, whom he battered into a bloody and helpless pulp in nine rounds.
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The one intriguing factor in the Mosley fight is that, for the first time in his career, Pacquiao will be fighting an African-American whose style is very different from fighters like Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito. The latter two always come forward and try to engage in a war.
Mosley is a far more intelligent and calculating fighter who knows how to tie up an opponent when he needs to. He boasts a powerful right hand which he used to hammer Margarito to a sensational ninth-round TKO and to almost knock out Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the second round of their clash.
Mosley says he plans to give Manny a taste of some African-American rhythm which would present a very different style for Pacquiao to deal with.
However, Mosley has never been comfortable against southpaws. He lost to the bigger Ronald “Winky” Wright twice, had problems against a comparatively mediocre Luis Collazo, who caught him with several left straights just like Wright, and saw his fight against Raul Marquez end in a no-contest in three rounds.
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Pacquiao is infinitely superior than all the southpaws Mosley has fought and is certain to present far greater problems this time.
Manny’s blazing handspeed coupled with his ability to move in and out in a flash, then fire from different angles with devastating power is bound to test Mosley like never before.
This is when Mosley could get dangerous.
He may resort to his vast experience and his ability to get dirty, as Roach himself hinted some time ago.
Mosley also could launch a devil-may-care attack and entice Pacquiao to engage in close-quarter combat. He could also tie up and wrestle Pacquiao, in the process frustrate Manny, who always wants to entertain the fans with a good fight.
Ariza told us that Pacquiao is ready for a war with Mosley, and when the drums beat at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Mindanao warrior is expected to prevail. If he doesn’t and by some minor miracle loses—which to millions is unthinkable—a nation will weep for a favorite son and a hero of epic dimensions.