HOLLYWOOD—The sooner Manny Pacquiao fights, the better it will be for the undisputed pound-for-pound king.
Freddie Roach said Pacquiao was so untested by Mosley during their showdown for the WBO welterweight crown Saturday night, the renowned trainer labeled the fight as mere “sparring.”
“We just sparred 12 rounds,” Roach told Manila-based sportswriters Monday. “We even had tougher [sparring] sessions at [the Wild Card gym].”
Indeed, main partner Shawn Porter, Karim Mayfield, Ray Beltran and David Rodela, on Roach’s instructions, engaged Pacquiao in fierce exchanges during training.
Instead, Mosley—known for his fighting prowess and superb counterpunching—preferred to run rather than engage Pacquiao, who handily retained his title.
Roach also defended Pacquiao’s performance against Mosley.
“I told Manny that he did a great job with what he had to work with; he hurt [Mosley] a couple of times,” said Roach. “First time that he got a little angry, and I like that anger in him. I thought he’s gonna knock out Shane, but he hung enough to get a decision.
“It’s very hard to look good when you’re fighting a fighter who just wants to survive and is not taking chances.”
Roach added that Mosley seemed scared to move all night long: “You could see it in his eyes. He was wide-eyed.”