OT: Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley!

[AdrianK]

Woo! Its actually gonna happen!

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=20238


Can't believe it. Pacquiao really has a chance to take out the entire top level of the welterweight division, should he win this fight, and grab yet another title.

[brothernumber9]

Why delay what everyone wants? I can understand some arguments like Pacquiao wants to stay active, or that he may be using Mosely as a warm up for the fight everyone wants, but I think this may get cyclic and potentially jeopardize a Mayweather Pacquio fight from happening. Assuming Mayweather beats Marquez, will he then wait for Pacquiao? or will he jump on a different fight or move up to challenge the Jr welters/Super lights or just retire again?

I really can't understand. If the Pacquiao camp wanted the biggest fight they could get, obviously it was going to be with Mayweather unless Marquez gets the upset. If they wanted money, obviously it would be with Mayweather. Hopefully Mayweather will wait after his fight. There are no other super fights waiting for him except maybe Cotto, but I don't think Mayweather wants that one, and I don't see him giving someone like Valero, Kotelnik, Urango, or Ortiz shots.

[AdrianK]

Pacquiao is still waiting to make his decision until the Mayweather/Marquez fight happens. At that point, he'll have incredible bargaining power as Mayweather, Marquez, Cotto and Mosley will be wanting a fight with him, all at the same time.

[Vajramusti]

If P/M happens that makes sense. Anything can happen. Moseley has solved his breathing and late round stamina and tightening up problems and Pacquaio appears to improve with each fight.

But the Mayweather/Marquez fight is the more interesting one. Both are smart fighters with good trainers and corners. The real question is whether putting on more weight will have a negative effect on Marquez. barring the weight issue- Marquez has the skills to edge and defeat Mayweather...I don't think bya knockout- though you never say never. Marquez jabs pretty well- Mayweather doesn't jab too much. With the jab, Oscar de la Hoya had the edge on Mayweather in early rounds but he slowed down in the final rounds thinking that he was winning handily. Marquez does get hit a little more than Mayweather but Marquez also packs power in both hands very well...lighter but the bigger hitter and survives id adversity...mentally tough.

Marquez IMO has edged Pacquaio twice- he took the last bad split decision gracefully and Pacquaio would have trouble landing solidly on slippery Mayweather. Hatton is powerful but not slippery or as smart.

While weight makes a difference -it counts more in boxing than in some kung fu--sure just IMO>


joy chaudhuri

[brothernumber9]

Most of the boxing sites are already reporting that the Pacquiao Mosely fight is all but set up by the promoters and will take place in October. If either camp wants a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight to happen, one of them is going to have to chill for 3 extra months, otherwise Pacquiao at least will have to take at least one fight against a mandatory ranked challenger if he does not agree to fight Mayweather next, and Mayweather also agrees. If Pacquiao or Mayweaher sleeps on the up and comers, or worse, somehow gets bamboozled into a fight with Williams, I think they (Pacquiao and Mayweaher) will miss this most opportune time frame to make the next mega-mega fight.

[Vajramusti]

William's freakish reach and windmill continuous energy is something else! He may have to move up in weight to get fights.

joy chaudhuri

[AdrianK]

Yeah, Williams had to move up in weight to fight Winky Wright just recently. I don't know if he's gonna really come down to Welter again after being at 160. He's good but not quite proven yet.

[Vajramusti]

Williams had am overwhelming punch ratio in that fight but Winky didn't do too badly given the great reach advantage. Winky is more of a counter puncher but couldn't control the distance.

joy chaudhuri

[Yung Apprentice]

I think the Mosely fight is a bad move for Pacman. I think Mosely's style is a good style to beat Pacquio. I think Pacquio has a better chance to be Mayweather than Mosely. Mayweather has never fought well backing up, and Pacquio's hand speed, punch out put, and power is enough to beat Mayweather.

I actually like Mosely in that fight, he's got one of the best chins in boxing, and is still a very fast fighter. His power is underrated.

As for Marquez and Mayweather *flips a coin......lands on it side*

Uh, the one with the gloves on?

[GeneChing]

Crash Course: Pacquiao-Mosley
Everything you need to know about this weekend's big fight.

Overview

Manny Pacquiao, widely considered the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, is defending his WBO welterweight championship against "Sugar" Shane Mosley on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (9 p.m. ET, Showtime PPV).

The fight marks Pacquiao's second defense of the 147-pound title he won from Miguel Cotto in 2009. The first came against Josh Clottey in March 2010, after which Pacquiao moved up and beat Antonio Margarito for a vacant super welterweight title in November. That victory made Pacquiao the first boxer to capture world championships in eight different weight classes (from 112 to 154).

Background

When Mosley shocked the previously undefeated Antonio Margarito in January 2009, the demand for a Pacquiao-Mosley showdown reached an all-time high. How things have changed. Mosley followed up the Margarito coup with a 15-month layoff, a lopsided loss to Floyd Mayweather and a listless draw with mid-level contender Sergio Mora. Once considered one of boxing's most desirable matchups, Pacquiao-Mosley is now regarded as a mismatch. Yes, the 39-year-old Mosley is a former lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight champion, but he's nowhere near the fighter who twice upset Oscar De La Hoya in the early 2000s. Most boxing people are asking not if Mosley can win but whether he can survive.

That's less an indictment of "Sugar" Shane -- a first-ballot Hall of Famer who's never been knocked out -- and more a tribute to Pacquiao, the eight-division champion who's become the face of boxing around the world. If he's not unequivocally the sport's greatest fighter (the inactive Mayweather is the other claimant to the mythical pound-for-pound title), then he's certainly the most exciting boxer today. The 32-year-old Pacquiao is a global phenomenon who's cracked the sporting mainstream like no other Asian-born athlete in history. He's been the subject of a 60 Minutes profile and was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. He sings, he acts. He was elected to Congress in the Philippines last year and hobnobbed with President Obama in February. It's been more than six years since he lost a fight.

<<deleted stats and last five fights because it would be too much bother to reformat - follow the link if you must know>>

Greatest Hits
Pacquiao's electric ascent through boxing's weight classes -- titles in eight divisions between 112 and 154 pounds -- is without precedent. A world champion in three divisions, Mosley has consistently gone against the best available competition in a Hall of Fame career.

Matchup

Pacquiao is on a streak of six victories against larger opponents: a ninth-round TKO of David Diaz for the lightweight title in June 2008; an emphatic ninth-round stoppage of Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008 that sent the Golden Boy into retirement; an awesome second-round starching of Ricky Hatton for the junior welterweight crown in May 2009; a TKO of Miguel Cotto in the most lucrative fight of 2009; and back-to-back lopsided decisions against Clottey and Margarito in 2010. With each successive outing, the Filipino seems to be getting better and better. He's not just bringing his punch up with him, but he's also absorbing opponents' shots more effectively.

Mosley, who is 2-2-1 in his last five fights, is coming off a one-sided loss to Mayweather and a lackluster draw with Mora -- but he's never looked as good against defensive movers of their ilk. ("Poor matchmaking on his side," said Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach of the Mora fight.) Theoretically at least, a smaller offensive-minded fighter like Pacquiao is tailor-made for Mosley's "power boxing" philosophy.

Pacquiao's blinding hand speed has proven difficult for opponents in any division, but it's the foot speed that enables the southpaw to create impossible punching angles while seamlessly transitioning to defense. (Said Cotto: "I didn't see where the punches were coming from.") While his right hand was once merely a table-setter for the crushing left, Pacquiao has evolved into essentially an ambidextrous puncher whose oppressive punch volume keeps opponents on their heels. Mosley's speed still ranks among the best in the sport, but both Mayweather and Mora exposed a fighter whose reflexes are undeniably on the wane.

Roach, a four-time Trainer of the Year, is one of the game's best corner men whose teaming with Pacquiao is becoming one of boxing's historic fighter-trainer partnerships. Mosley has been working with Naazim Richardson, a similarly respected trainer who's overseen Bernard Hopkins' late-career resurgence. Advantage to Pacquiao, but only by the slimmest of margins.

Instinctively, there are questions about Pacquiao's motivation, and whether all of his non-boxing commitments will compromise his attention. But those same distractions were present during the build-up to his fights with Hatton, Cotto, Clottey and Margarito ... and we all remember how those worked out. Pacquiao seems to feed off the chaos, benefitting from powers of compartimentalization that are without parallel.

The Odds

Oddsmaker William Hill lists Mosley as a 5-to-1 underdog.

Prediction

Mosley is a first-ballot Hall of Famer who's never been stopped, but Pacquiao is a powerful, ruthless opponent much closer to his physical peak. Anyone banking on a Pac-Man letdown should think twice: Roach claims Pacquaio "has never looked better in training" and says they settled early on the perfect game plan to dismantle "Sugar" Shane. Expect fireworks early as the bigger and stronger Mosley looks to test the fresher and quicker champion. But Pacquiao's ability to eat a welterweight's punch and keep moving forward is well-documented, and he'll prove too fast and too busy for Mosley to press the natural power advantage. The only drama will be whether Mosley will go the distance. He won't. Pacquiao by ninth-round TKO.

What's your call on this fight?

[sanjuro_ronin]

Manny will take it on or before the 5th.

[Yung Apprentice]

Yeah I agree, two years ago Mosely woulda been primed for an upset, but he is just too old now and has slowed down a lot in those two years.

[GeneChing]

Didn't watch the fight. I did enjoy the hype. I'm sad to see it didn't deliver.

Pacquiao vs. Mosley: Round-by-round highlights of Manny Pacquiao's victory over Shane Mosley
May 7, 2011 | 9:55 pm

Manny Pacquiao wasn’t pleased with his third consecutive unanimous decision, but in extending his historic victory streak to 14 he may have retired another Hall of Famer.

In a dominant destruction of an aged Shane Mosley, Pacquiao rode a third-round knockdown and a steady barrage of left hands to a unanimous decision in his WBO welterweight title defense before 16,412 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Judge Glenn Trowbridge scored the bout 119-108, Dave Moretti had it 120-108 and Duane Ford scored it 120-107.

Pacquiao (54-3-2) afterward blamed his leg strength for not being able to finish the 39-year-old Mosley (46-7-1), who was the beneficiary of a wrongly called knockdown by referee Kenny Bayless in the 10th round when replays showed Mosley clearly pushed Pacquiao down with his right hand.

Here's a recap of the fight:

Mosley walked out to LL Cool J’s "Mama Said Knock You Out," obviously relishing the line, "Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years." The former lightweight, welterweight and super-welterweight champion was dressed in black and gold. Pacquiao entered to a live version of “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor frontman Jim Jamison, thrilling the Filipino’s large contingency that is anticipating a strong showing by the 9-to-1 favorite.

Pacquiao kneeled for his usual prefight prayer in his corner, and here we go.

Round 1: Each guy worked hard to set up blows with their jabs. Pacquiao landed twice to the body and once to the face, and Mosley sneaked in a hard right to face. Pacquiao wins the round, 10-9 (scoring is unofficial).

Round 2: Pacquiao is the aggressor and Mosley appears a bit confused. Pacquiao lands a good left to the head followed by a right. The pair butt heads at the one-minute mark; all is OK. Pacquiao lands to the body, Mosley retreats. A left to the body and right to the face by Pacquiao. Pacquiao wins the round, 10-9. Pacquiao leads fight, 20-18.

Round 3: Pacquiao drops Mosley for the third time in his career, charging with a combination and dropping him with a left. Mosley is dazed at the 1:10 mark. Pacquiao going for the kill, left to the head and body. Again to the body and face. Mosley survives. Pacquiao wins the round, 10-8. Pacquiao leads, 30-26.

Round 4: Mosley slips. Pacquiao working the jab. He lands a hard left to Mosley's jaw. Mosley can't keep up. We expected this. Mosley jabs in vain. Pacquiao lands a left to the body. Hard combo by Mosley as Pacquiao covers. Pacquiao rallies, gets in two hard lefts to Mosley's face. Pacquiao wins the round, 10-9. Pacquiao leads, 40-35.

Round 5: Mosley has some crispness back. Pacquiao charges forward, as if he has great confidence. Mosley blocking some shots. Good left to the face by Pacquiao. Mosley definitely not his aggressive self of old. Pacquiao jabs to head and body. Pacquiao wins the round, 10-9. Pacquiao leads, 50-44.

Round 6: A soft head butt slows the action. Pacquiao goes left, lands a combination on attack. Mosley retreating. The action slows, and the crowd boos. Good short right by Pacquiao. Mosley gets in a right. Pacquiao wins the round, 10-9. Pacquiao leads, 60-53.

Round 7: Two good left uppercuts by Pacquiao, who ducks in for attack. Mosley shows no such ambition, and gets hit by rights to the body and head and a right-left combo. Pacquiao wins the round, 10-9. Pacquiao leads, 70-62.

Round 8: A big left to the head by Pacquiao symbolizes why Mosley's not engaging. Too much pain. More lefts continue to blunt Mosley's aged effort. The crowd booing the inaction by the challenger. Bad fight. Pacquiao wins the round, 10-9. Pacquiao leads, 80-71.

Round 9: Mosley sneers after a right-left charge by Pacquiao. Heads clash again, action resumes. Nice right by Pacquiao and good left hook by Mosley. A Pacquiao combo and left follows. Mosley sneaks in a good jab. Mosley to the body. Pacquiao hits Mosley in belly with right and snaps his head back with hard left. Pacquiao wins the round, 10-9. Pacquiao leads, 90-80.

Round 10: Referee Kenny Bayless wrongly awards Mosley a knockdown on a push. Mosley was going forward, but clearly pushed Pacquiao with a right. Pacquiao quickly gets back up, attacking. Pacquiao hits Mosley on ear with left. Another left. A straight left rolls Mosley's head back. Round is a 9-9 draw. Pacquiao leads, 99-89.

Round 11: Mosley working hard to avoid a knockout here, backpedaling from combinations as Pacquiao attacks. Mosley hugs Pacquiao, who gets free and unleashes a combination that backs up Mosley. Pacquiao roaring at end, Mosley looking for cover. Pacquiao wins the round, 10-9. Pacquiao leads, 109-98.

Round 12: Pacquiao completes a dominant effort, striking Mosley with more lefts to the head and body. He hammers Mosley with left-right to head. But Mosley survives. Pacquiao walks back frustrated to his corner with third straight unanimous decision coming. Pacquiao wins the round, 10-9. Pacquiao should win, 119-107.

Official verdict: Manny Pacquiao wins by unanimous decision. Scoring: Trowbridge, 119-108; Moretti, 120-108; Ford 120-107.

[Yung Apprentice]

Props to Manny, for destroying yet another great has been. Manny's name will be legend, for beating many greats, too bad many won't remember most of them were past their primes, or starting to decline. I truly believe he won't fight Juan Manuel Marquez in a rematch for another year or two, when Juan Manuel is well into decline.