The trainer of three-division, five-time titlist, Shane Mosley, told Chris Robinson of The Examiner.com, that Mosley will "smash" eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, when the two fighters meet for Pacquiao's WBO welterweight (147 pounds) crown on May 7 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
The 32-year-old Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) has not lost since March of 2005, a run of 13 straight fights that include eight knockouts. On Nov. 13, Pacquiao routed Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs) by unanimous decision for the vacant WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
The 39-year-old Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) was dominated by unanimous decision against six-time champion, Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) in May of 2009, and is coming off of September's junior middleweight split-decision draw with light-hitting, ex-champion, Sergio Mora (21-1-1, six KOs).
"Shane's got a chance to shock the world. You don't get these opportunities. Very seldom do you get these opportunities. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity," trainer Naazim Richardson told Robinson. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and even surpasses the Mayweather opportunity. Shane has to rise to the occasion."
Thanks to a call from Mosley four days prior to Christmas, FanHouse first reported that Pacquiao-Mosley was "a done deal."
Since then, however, it appears that Pacquiao, his promoter, Top Rank Promotions' CEO, Bob Arum, and, his adviser, Michael Koncz, have taken criticism for selecting Mosley over 37-year-old WBO and WBA lightweight king Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 38 KOs) and 27-year-old WBC welterweight belt-holder Andre Berto (27-0, 21 KOs).
Berto had scored two straight knockouts, respectively, over southpaw former world champion Carlos Quintana (27-3, 22 KOs) in April and hard-punching Freddy Hernandez (29-1, 20 KOs) last month in the eighth and first rounds.
Marquez battled Pacquiao to a disputed draw, and lost a controversial, split-decision, respectively, in May of 2004, and, March, 2008, being knocked down a combined four times over the course of the two bouts.
Last month, Marquez rose from a third-round knockdown to win by an HBO televised, ninth-round knockout over former WBO interim champ Michael Katsidis (27-3, 22 KOs).
But Arum points to the fact that Mosley staggered Mayweather with a second-round right hand that appeared to have the Las Vegas resident on the verge of suffering his first loss.
Arum also dismissed the notion that Mosley looked old and appeared to have struggled through his bout with Mora, a man who split victories with the late, former world champion, Vernon Forrest, who twice decisioned Mosley in January and July of 2002.
"People are like, 'Well, what about Mosley's last two fights?' Well, what about his last two fights? Mosley fought Mayweather, and he's the only guy in Mayweather's whole career to really hurt Mayweather and to really have him in trouble. So Mosley is capable of hurting Manny," said Arum.
"But, then, you take the Mora fight. Anybody who made that match should be shot. To put Mosley, an older fighter, in with a guy who is completely defensive and just stinks you out is not doing Mosley any favors," said Arum. "So, as far as I'm concerned, the most competitive guy of the three for Manny is Mosley. And I mean, that's after looking at Mosley's whole track record."
Richardson points to his first fight training Mosley when the boxer dethroned Margarito as WBA welterweight king with a ninth-round knockout in January, 2009.
In his previous fight, in July of 2008, Margarito had dethroned Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) as WBA king two bouts after Cotto had thwarted Mosley's bid for the same belt by unanimous decision in November, 2007.
Richardson also points to the fact that after Mosley lost to Cotto, he rose to junior middleweight for a September, 2008 bout with ex-world champ, Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1, 22 KOs).
Mosley was considered the underdog, yet again, against Mayorga, who already was WBA titlist when he scored a January, 2003, third-round stoppage of previously unbeaten WBC king, Forrest, before winning the return bout with Forrest by majority decision in July of 2003.
Forrest entered his first bout against Mayorga at 35-0 with 26 knockouts, having scored consecutive decisions over the previously unbeaten Mosley, who had twice defeated Oscar De La Hoya.
"I think the Pacquiao fight with Shane will give him a chance to do what he has several times before. You've seen Shane lose to Vernon Forrest," said Richardson. "Mayorga slashed Vernon Forrest. Then Shane smashed Mayorga. You've seen Shane lose to Cotto. Margarito slashed Cotto. Then Shane smashed Margarito."
Negotiations between Top Rank Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions twice failed to make a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao.
"In this fight, what it is going to do is let Mayweather off of the hook," said Richardson. "Because Mayweather will say he could have beat Pacquiao without them ever fighting because they will see Shane go in there and smash Pacquiao and then they assume that Mayweather would have beat Pacquiao."
A former IBF lightweight champion, Mosley has fought at welterweight or higher exclusively since relinquishing his lightweight belt in 1999, including seven bouts at junior middleweight and one other at 148 pounds -- an April, 2005 decision over David Estrada.
At junior middleweight, Mosley has twice stopped former world champion, Fernando Vargas, knocked out Mayorga, and earned his second win over former world champ, De La Hoya -- the latter for the WBC and WBA crowns in September of 2003.
Mosley also dispatched of De La Hoya by split-decision in June of 2000 for the WBC welterweight crown, but twice lost to former world titlist Winky Wright at 154 pounds.
By Lem Satterfield
The trainer of three-division, five-time titlist, Shane Mosley, told Chris Robinson of The Examiner.com, that Mosley will "smash" eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, when the two fighters meet for Pacquiao's WBO welterweight (147 pounds) crown on May 7 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
The 32-year-old Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) has not lost since March of 2005, a run of 13 straight fights that include eight knockouts. On Nov. 13, Pacquiao routed Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs) by unanimous decision for the vacant WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
The 39-year-old Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) was dominated by unanimous decision against six-time champion, Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) in May of 2009, and is coming off of September's junior middleweight split-decision draw with light-hitting, ex-champion, Sergio Mora (21-1-1, six KOs).
"Shane's got a chance to shock the world. You don't get these opportunities. Very seldom do you get these opportunities. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity," trainer Naazim Richardson told Robinson. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and even surpasses the Mayweather opportunity. Shane has to rise to the occasion."
Thanks to a call from Mosley four days prior to Christmas, FanHouse first reported that Pacquiao-Mosley was "a done deal."
Since then, however, it appears that Pacquiao, his promoter, Top Rank Promotions' CEO, Bob Arum, and, his adviser, Michael Koncz, have taken criticism for selecting Mosley over 37-year-old WBO and WBA lightweight king Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 38 KOs) and 27-year-old WBC welterweight belt-holder Andre Berto (27-0, 21 KOs).
Berto had scored two straight knockouts, respectively, over southpaw former world champion Carlos Quintana (27-3, 22 KOs) in April and hard-punching Freddy Hernandez (29-1, 20 KOs) last month in the eighth and first rounds.
Marquez battled Pacquiao to a disputed draw, and lost a controversial, split-decision, respectively, in May of 2004, and, March, 2008, being knocked down a combined four times over the course of the two bouts.
Last month, Marquez rose from a third-round knockdown to win by an HBO televised, ninth-round knockout over former WBO interim champ Michael Katsidis (27-3, 22 KOs).
But Arum points to the fact that Mosley staggered Mayweather with a second-round right hand that appeared to have the Las Vegas resident on the verge of suffering his first loss.
Arum also dismissed the notion that Mosley looked old and appeared to have struggled through his bout with Mora, a man who split victories with the late, former world champion, Vernon Forrest, who twice decisioned Mosley in January and July of 2002.
"People are like, 'Well, what about Mosley's last two fights?' Well, what about his last two fights? Mosley fought Mayweather, and he's the only guy in Mayweather's whole career to really hurt Mayweather and to really have him in trouble. So Mosley is capable of hurting Manny," said Arum.
"But, then, you take the Mora fight. Anybody who made that match should be shot. To put Mosley, an older fighter, in with a guy who is completely defensive and just stinks you out is not doing Mosley any favors," said Arum. "So, as far as I'm concerned, the most competitive guy of the three for Manny is Mosley. And I mean, that's after looking at Mosley's whole track record."
Richardson points to his first fight training Mosley when the boxer dethroned Margarito as WBA welterweight king with a ninth-round knockout in January, 2009.
In his previous fight, in July of 2008, Margarito had dethroned Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) as WBA king two bouts after Cotto had thwarted Mosley's bid for the same belt by unanimous decision in November, 2007.
Richardson also points to the fact that after Mosley lost to Cotto, he rose to junior middleweight for a September, 2008 bout with ex-world champ, Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1, 22 KOs).
Mosley was considered the underdog, yet again, against Mayorga, who already was WBA titlist when he scored a January, 2003, third-round stoppage of previously unbeaten WBC king, Forrest, before winning the return bout with Forrest by majority decision in July of 2003.
Forrest entered his first bout against Mayorga at 35-0 with 26 knockouts, having scored consecutive decisions over the previously unbeaten Mosley, who had twice defeated Oscar De La Hoya.
"I think the Pacquiao fight with Shane will give him a chance to do what he has several times before. You've seen Shane lose to Vernon Forrest," said Richardson. "Mayorga slashed Vernon Forrest. Then Shane smashed Mayorga. You've seen Shane lose to Cotto. Margarito slashed Cotto. Then Shane smashed Margarito."
Negotiations between Top Rank Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions twice failed to make a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao.
"In this fight, what it is going to do is let Mayweather off of the hook," said Richardson. "Because Mayweather will say he could have beat Pacquiao without them ever fighting because they will see Shane go in there and smash Pacquiao and then they assume that Mayweather would have beat Pacquiao."
A former IBF lightweight champion, Mosley has fought at welterweight or higher exclusively since relinquishing his lightweight belt in 1999, including seven bouts at junior middleweight and one other at 148 pounds -- an April, 2005 decision over David Estrada.
At junior middleweight, Mosley has twice stopped former world champion, Fernando Vargas, knocked out Mayorga, and earned his second win over former world champ, De La Hoya -- the latter for the WBC and WBA crowns in September of 2003.
Mosley also dispatched of De La Hoya by split-decision in June of 2000 for the WBC welterweight crown, but twice lost to former world titlist Winky Wright at 154 pounds.
By Lem Satterfield
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteManny is a great Filipino fighter. I created a facebook fan page for him where fans can watch his greatest hits, his music funny bloopers and more without leaving facebook site. Check it out
ReplyDeletehttp://on.fb.me/fbemy3