Shane Mosley will get the last big fight left in his storied career next weekend.
Might as well describe it as his swan song for, at 39 years old, there is not much fight left in him.
Even if he succeeds in defying the odds and scores a monumental upset over Manny Pacquiao, there is no more marquee ticket waiting for him that will equal the fights he is having with the eight-division Filipino champion and the fights he did with Oscar de la Hoya eight years ago and with Floyd Mayweather Jr last year ? in terms of financial reward and media exposure.
Mosley is one of the luckier boxers in his generation.
How many active fighters can boast of having the honor of squaring off with the last three top pay per view draw attractions over the last five years?
That rare feat is testament to Mosley?s durability and salability as an elite fighter.
But in order to shock the boxing world and Pacquiao, Mosley will have to be at his best. Better than the version that twice annihilated de la Hoya. Better than the one who stunned Antonio Margarito. And he should not show up as the fighter that fought and lost to Mayweather, definitely.
Mosley will have to prove that his chin will be equal to the challenge. That his legs will not betray him and that he can still pull the trigger.
For all the talks about Mosley?s hand speed, there is the one punch missing in his arsenal which is crucial to beating Pacquiao ? the stiff right jab.
Mosley?s left jabs are more probing in nature and are designed to set up his big overhand right.
They are not thrown to stop opponents from launching their own attacks.
Mosley, too, is vulnerable and very hittable with jabs. But over the years, Pacquiao has rediscovered his right jabs to go along with his right hooks. Thrown as counterpunches to a lazy left jab, both punches are effective and are often lethal. Just asked Ricky Hatton and Miguel Angel Cotto who both were sent to the canvass with Manny?s right hooks.
The two boxers that were able to cope up with Pacquiao?s bull rushing ways were Juan Manuel Marquez the version of Erik Morales who defeated the Filipino lefty.
Both Marquez and Morales were excellent powerful jabbers during their prime and they gave Pacquiao enough to handle. Unfortunately for Mosley, however, the 2011 version of Pacman is far more superior than the unpolished younger edition.
Mosley?s will commit a big mistake, too, if he thinks he can handle Pacquiao?s speed and power.
Mosley probably is thinking that he will have to engage Pacquiao in a phone booth brawl and is hoping for a quick ending to avoid dealing with the stamina and furious pace of the world?s top pound for pound boxing king.
But to reiterate, he cannot do that without honing and loading up his jabs.
If he can do that, his chances of winning will improve from almost nil to might-just-do-it.
