Almost a replay of Clottey clash

LAS VEGAS—For a long time there, renowned trainer Freddie Roach thought he was watching a replay of the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey last year.

There was Pacquiao on the attack and there was Shane Mosley back-pedalling almost throughout their 12-round fight at the MGM Grand Arena.

After Mosley felt the power behind Pacquiao’s punches, the American dared not mount any charge.

To the dismay of Pacquiao and the displeasure of the fans who expected a no-holds barred exchanges between the two.

The same thing happened to Clottey when he tangled with Pacquiao at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, last year.

After absorbing Pacquiao’s booming punches, Clottey chose to hide behind a shell-like defense throughout.

Roach said the intention of Mosley was the same as Clottey.

“I don’t think (Mosley) tried to win the fight. He just tried to survive.”

The unanimous decision was acceptable, because, according to Roach, only one guy (Pacquiao) was trying to win.

How Roach wished Pacquiao got angry earlier.

When referee Kenny Bayless declared a Mosley push as a knockdown in the 10th round, Pacquiao turned furious.

“Manny got a little upset with the guy (Bayless) calling it a knockdown and Shane getting more aggressive. I wish he did that sooner,” Roach said.

Roach knows that when you light up Pacquiao’s fuse, it will explode. And Mosley would have felt his full wrath.

But Manny couldn’t pin down the elusive Mosley with a devastating blow and the American went on to preserve his reputation as a knockout escape artist.