Only Manny was ready for war

LAS VEGAS—Manny Pacquiao was ready for war, but the old warrior Shane Mosley wasn’t willing to engage.

This, according to Pacquiao’s handlers, was the synopsis of their showdown for the WBO welterweight crown Saturday night, with the highly favored Filipino superstar settling for a knockdown and a unanimous decision, instead of a knockout at the sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena.

For a while there, Mosley was raring to do battle, as he had promised during training.

But after the future Hall of Famer felt the sting of Pacquiao’s punches—a left straight sent the American down on all fours— Mosley reverted to retreat mode.

Though satisfied with the victory, Pacquiao said he was disappointed that Mosley failed to trade punches with him.

“I expected Mosley to exchange toe-to-toe for at least five rounds,” Pacquiao said after the fight.

“I think he felt my power,” added Pacquiao, who raised his win-loss-record to 53-3-2 with 38 knockouts.

“He has speed and power that I have never felt before,” admitted Mosley, who has been fighting for 31 of his 39 years.

Pacquiao did try to go for the kill, but couldn’t pin down Mosley as cramps, which hit him in the fourth round, reduced his movement.

“What can I do? He doesn’t want to fight,” said Pacquiao, who is assured of a $20-million purse.

Promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao could earn $10 million more due to the strong pay-per-view and closed-circuit sales.

In the end, Pacquiao justified the outcome that left many fans unsatisfied, showing their displeasure with occasional booing.

“We tried our best,” said Pacquiao, who thanked President Aquino for congratulating him for the victory. “We both gave it our best effort.”

Pacquiao said he didn’t want to attack relentlessly as Mosley is a noted counterpuncher. “He’s fast and I had to be cautious of his counterpunch,” he explained.