?My relationship with Manny Pacquiao is great. I have nothing against Manny Pacquiao.”
Those were the words of former three-division champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley today as he spoke at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles at the inaugural press conference to announce his May 7th date with WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. Mosley faces Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and if anybody was looking for any signs of animosity between the two men today they would have been out of luck.
It’s honestly hard to think of two world-class pugilists who come across as pure gentleman the way Pacquiao and Mosley do. Their chaotic and deadly natures inside of the ring are beguiled by their friendly natures outside of it, making for obvious respect and somewhat of a void in terms of intrigue when it comes to the buildup to the fight.
<--- Slideshow: More images from the Pacquiao-Mosley presser in Los Angeles
Still, Mosley isn’t without confidence and was sure to thrown down somewhat of a gauntlet when asked how to beat the Filipino star.
?I think it?s very hard but styles make the fight,” Mosley said, addressing the topic. “Being that he?s a very exciting fighter and likes to bring it, that leaves openings for me. We?ll see when we get to the fight. It?s not the African-American style that will beat him. It?s my style that will beat him. Everybody fights differently and styles make the fight and in this fight you have two guys engaging and I think I have what it takes to get the job done.”
The fight marks Pacquiao’s return to Las Vegas after a 2010 campaign that saw him defeat Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium outside of Dallas, Texas. Much of the early hype surrounding the fight has been around the blockbuster announcement that Showtime Pay-per-view, in association with their partner CBS, will carry the contest.
For a fighter who seems to often get tired of the same routine, Pacquiao seems eager about the new outlet and what it could mean for his latest showcase.
?I?m excited,” said Pacquiao. “It?s going to give more boxing fans a chance to see the fight. I like all the media attention. We are trying to make this the fight of the year and that?s why we will train so hard. I am going to train hard because I don?t want to disappoint the people who are going to watch this fight.”
The selection of Mosley as an opponent didn’t go over smoothly with everyone in the sport but one individual who isn’t taking the Pomona, California fighter lightly is Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach. History shows that the outspoken trainer is quick to dismiss and berate opponents of his fighters but in Mosley he sees a formidable challenge.
“It?s definitely not an easy fight,” Roach noted. “Shane has been there many times. He?s going to rise to the occasion. He?s fighting Manny Pacquiao. He will fight the best fight of his life out there and we will not underestimate him. Shane, we will not do that. I promise you.?
The stage definitely seems to be set for an interesting collision, if anything else. Despite a lackluster 2010 that saw him go winless for the first time since 2004, Mosley seems to have a confidence about him that you can’t fully look past.
‘Sugar’ may be up against it, but he’s relishing this moment and makes no bones about what lies ahead.
?I don?t know what the odds are for this fight. I?m not a betting man. I definitely won?t be on the losing end. I think it should be even. We are two similar types of fighters. We both like to battle. He throws punches more rapidly than I do but my punches are heavier. I don?t know what the over-under is. It won?t go the distance. This is the type of fight that would never go the distance.”
