Pacquiao/Mosley Preview
By Jackie Kallen
It is always hard for me to predict the outcome of a fight. It’s even harder when I know and like both boxers. I would be a lousy odds-maker. No matter what the matchup looks like on paper—on any given night, any fighter can beat another fighter. Upsets are a major part of this sport.
I have been giving a lot of thought to the upcoming Pacquiao/Mosley fight. Many fight fans are giving the edge to the Pacman.
At 32, Manny is over seven years younger than Mosley. He hasn’t lost a fight since 2005, when he lost a decision to Erik Morales. That was over six years ago. Mosley has lost two out of his last five fights and his most recent fight ended in a draw.
Manny is on a roll. He hasn’t tasted defeat in years and he has, admittedly, one of the best trainers in the sport. He trains hard, always hires excellent sparring partners, and adheres to a strict training schedule. He has been involved in 30 title fights, compared to Mosley’s 22.
Pacquiao is a southpaw, which proved to be tricky for Mosley when he lost back-to-back fights with Winky Wright back in 2004.
Manny has not been stopped since 1999, when as a flyweight he was KOed by Medgoen Singsurat.
Pacquiao supporters say Mosley is a shot fighter.
Mosley fans are quick to point out that Shane is taller (5’9” to 5’61/2”), has a longer reach (74” to 67”) and has a more solid KO ratio (72% to 66%). They cite the fact that Mosley has beaten opponents like Margarito by KO, while Pacquiao had to go the distance with him to get the W.
Mosley’s fans say Shane is a naturally bigger, stronger man who has enough left to defeat what they consider to be an over-grown flyweight.
Taking it all into consideration, I am going with Pacquiao by decision. (But I also picked James Toney over Roy Jones, Jr. back in 1994, so don’t bet the house on my prediction.)