Pacquiao/Mosley Talks Fire Up
Rumors have recently started to circle that Manny Pacquiao may be facing off against welterweight king, Shane Mosley, sometime in October. The thought of such a matchup is sure enough to whet every boxing fanatic’s boxing appetite. As many of us eagerly anticipate Mayweather/Marquez in June, Pacquiao/Mosley sounds just as good if not even better.
Let the boxing gods work their magic to make this bout official. It could begin a round-robin of sorts for years to come that will see legends rise and fall. On paper, everyone has a shot to further solidify their place in boxing history.
Assuming this matchup takes place, whom should be favored?
Do we favor the Sugarman, a wily veteran, a proven great, a fighter coming off one of the best performances of his career?
Or do we favor the Filipino Pac Monster, the consensus pound-for-pound #1 fighter in the world, also a proven great, a fighter coming off one of the best performances of his career?
If the fight were to take place at 147, one would have to give Mosley the slightest edge due to his track record in the welterweight division. However, word is that this fight, if finalized, would take place at a catchweight, somewhere between 140-147 lbs.
That key element alone is what makes this fight even more intriguing. When was the last time Mosley weighed in lower than 146 lbs? Almost a decade ago?
If this fight takes place at 143-144, expect a great fight to with Pacquiao coming out on top. It’s easy to foresee a war, perhaps one of the greatest matchups we will ever witness.
And should Pacquiao succeed in dethroning Mosley, he should get all the credit in the world. This wouldn’t be the same as fighting a past prime De La Hoya, a fighter who hadn’t fought at welterweight in ages nor scored an impressive victory in that weight class since the late 90s.
Although he’s no longer in his prime either, Shane Mosley is a proven welterweight champion even today at the age of 37. If you caught Mosley in his most recent outing in January 2009, you’ll know he still has plenty left in the tank. Just ask Antonio Margarito whom he was not expected to defeat this past January. Mosley, like the great Bernard Hopkins, is one of those special fighters who today continues to defy the laws of time.
Further, spanning a 16 year career, no one has ever knocked Shane Mosley out. In Pacquiao, he’d be facing a fighter that normally wins via knockout. How’s that for some real intrigue?
Although the July 18 matchup between Mayweather/Marquez is quite a treat in its own unique way, it’s difficult to see it stacking up to Pacquiao/Mosley in terms of intrigue and excitement. Even if the size factor doesn’t come into play in Mayweather/Marquez, both fighters are natural counter-punchers that typically rely on their opponents to make the fight. In other words, that fight will most likely be a battle between two boxing technicians, but it won’t produce the fireworks of a Pacquiao/Mosley.
For many reasons, Pacquiao/Mosley needs to take place.
Aside from a fight against the winner of Mayweather/Marquez, this is as big a fight as Pacquiao can possibly make right now. True, there’s also a potential date with Cotto (assuming he defeats Joshua Clottey next weekend) which would also be a big fight in its own right. If Pacquiao decides to go that route instead, he would be commended for accepting that fight as well considering that Cotto is a proven world class welterweight like Mosley.
At this point, it doesn’t really matter who’s next. Rest assured it’ll be a dangerous opponent as Pacquiao has consistently shown the willingness to face off against the world’s best in each weight class he’s climbed through. If Manny is serious about retiring within a year, he’s truly going out like a real champion. Line em’ up.
http://boxingfanatics.com/
Let the boxing gods work their magic to make this bout official. It could begin a round-robin of sorts for years to come that will see legends rise and fall. On paper, everyone has a shot to further solidify their place in boxing history.
Assuming this matchup takes place, whom should be favored?
Do we favor the Sugarman, a wily veteran, a proven great, a fighter coming off one of the best performances of his career?
Or do we favor the Filipino Pac Monster, the consensus pound-for-pound #1 fighter in the world, also a proven great, a fighter coming off one of the best performances of his career?
If the fight were to take place at 147, one would have to give Mosley the slightest edge due to his track record in the welterweight division. However, word is that this fight, if finalized, would take place at a catchweight, somewhere between 140-147 lbs.
That key element alone is what makes this fight even more intriguing. When was the last time Mosley weighed in lower than 146 lbs? Almost a decade ago?
If this fight takes place at 143-144, expect a great fight to with Pacquiao coming out on top. It’s easy to foresee a war, perhaps one of the greatest matchups we will ever witness.
And should Pacquiao succeed in dethroning Mosley, he should get all the credit in the world. This wouldn’t be the same as fighting a past prime De La Hoya, a fighter who hadn’t fought at welterweight in ages nor scored an impressive victory in that weight class since the late 90s.
Although he’s no longer in his prime either, Shane Mosley is a proven welterweight champion even today at the age of 37. If you caught Mosley in his most recent outing in January 2009, you’ll know he still has plenty left in the tank. Just ask Antonio Margarito whom he was not expected to defeat this past January. Mosley, like the great Bernard Hopkins, is one of those special fighters who today continues to defy the laws of time.
Further, spanning a 16 year career, no one has ever knocked Shane Mosley out. In Pacquiao, he’d be facing a fighter that normally wins via knockout. How’s that for some real intrigue?
Although the July 18 matchup between Mayweather/Marquez is quite a treat in its own unique way, it’s difficult to see it stacking up to Pacquiao/Mosley in terms of intrigue and excitement. Even if the size factor doesn’t come into play in Mayweather/Marquez, both fighters are natural counter-punchers that typically rely on their opponents to make the fight. In other words, that fight will most likely be a battle between two boxing technicians, but it won’t produce the fireworks of a Pacquiao/Mosley.
For many reasons, Pacquiao/Mosley needs to take place.
Aside from a fight against the winner of Mayweather/Marquez, this is as big a fight as Pacquiao can possibly make right now. True, there’s also a potential date with Cotto (assuming he defeats Joshua Clottey next weekend) which would also be a big fight in its own right. If Pacquiao decides to go that route instead, he would be commended for accepting that fight as well considering that Cotto is a proven world class welterweight like Mosley.
At this point, it doesn’t really matter who’s next. Rest assured it’ll be a dangerous opponent as Pacquiao has consistently shown the willingness to face off against the world’s best in each weight class he’s climbed through. If Manny is serious about retiring within a year, he’s truly going out like a real champion. Line em’ up.
http://boxingfanatics.com/
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