It’s fight week in Las Vegas and everybody is giving their predictions for this Saturday’s big showdown between WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and former five-time champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Just like any fight in the sport, everyone seems to have a heavy opinion as to whether the scintillating champion will be able to pull off another virtuoso performance or whether the 39-year old Mosley has one great fight left in him.
One man with a rather unique view on the fight, and an individual who is certainly qualified to give an accurate assessment of Pacquiao’s skills, is undefeated welterweight contender Shawn Porter, who just finished up his second camp as one of the chief sparring partners to the Filipino idol. Porter was brought into Manny’s camp in the fall of 2009 for his eventual 12th round TKO over Miguel Cotto and the two men seemed to have an instant bond with one another during their time in Baguio in the Philippines.
<--- Slideshow: Latest images of Manny Pacquiao as he makes his grand arrival to Las Vegas
As for this particular go round, the Akron, Ohio charge insists that it was more of the same.
“It’s been a great camp. It’s been fun. Just hard work, ya know?” Porter recently reflected to me.
A training camp is actually a precious thing and fighters often grow close to one another after preparing each other for battle and pushing one another to the limit. But when asked about what has stood out about Pacquiao during his two stints with the 32-year old, Porter reels off an expected yet refreshing response.
“I would say more than anything, like everybody else would tell you, he’s just a really nice guy, really humble. And just a lot of love of love in his heart. He’s a big kid, likes to have fun, and we connect really well on that level because I’m a big kid too,” he continued.
And as far as his intangibles as a fighter, Porter there too shows his praise.
“He’s a great fighter,” he continued. “Definitely one of the best fighters I have ever been in the ring with. I’m 18-0 as a pro now and being in the ring with him, it’s just so competitive. I think just his style alone; he’s a southpaw, he moves quick, uses a lot of different angles, and I think that alone, it’s really hard to make adjustments in the ring. I think that’s one thing that makes him really successful.”
