LAS VEGAS?I think, no I know, that we’ve seen this two reel movie before.
First, Floyd Mayweather fights a big name opponent and customarily boxes their ears off. I don’t mean literrally and the Undefeated One does not chomp on the foe’s earlobes like a starving man at a buffet, Mike Tyson style.
But that reel always ends the same way, with ?Money? getting his hand raised in victory and his dominance generally ackowledged even by his worst enemies.
Then the valiant but overmatched rival signs to fight Pinoy Idol Manny Pacquiao.
So then they roll out the second reel. In the first instance of commonality and ring domination, an arrogant Oscar De La Hoya convinces himself that the southpaw born in Kibawe, Philippines, is too small to give him beaucoup problems, that he will likely squash Pacman like a pesky bug.
History tells us Oskie, having lost the somewhat dreary ?Businessman’s Special? to Mayweather, not only got beat from pillar to post by the ascending Pacquiao but that he was forced to quit on his stool.
It was a humbling, some would say humiliating way to go into retirement, but that’s what the Golden Boy did, quit the ring to concentrate on promoting other people’s bouts.
Popular Brit Ricky Hatton, he lasted 11 rounds with Mayweather and was completely overmatched. At some points, shoulder rolling Floyd made Hatton look like a kid in the Novice Division of your local Golden Gloves tournament.
Surely, Hatton and his handlers felt, the smaller, seemingly slower Pacman was a juicy foe for a rejuvenated Ricky.
Pacquiao then resumed playing ?anything you can do, I can do better? and trampled Hatton in less than six minutes. Quick, fast and in a hurry, game, set and match over in less than two full rounds.
Now comes another Mayweather decision victim, the slowing and rapidly graying, age 39 Sugar Shane Mosley.
He rocked Mayweather’s world on May 1, 2010, with a booming right hand. Floyd wiggled, Floyd wobbled and Floyd waffled but he did not go down, quickly regaining his composure and putting on his usual textbook ring clinic.
Now, instead of getting a gold watch and a retirement luncheon at his neighborhood Applebees, Mosley has to try to handle Pacquiao’s marvelous and, or so I think, still improving skills. Advertisement
Again, Pacquiao has a chance to One Up Mr. Mayweather.
I came to this gambling mecca thinking that was an elusive goal for Pacman, despite Coach Freddie Roach’s public proclamations about wanting to see his charge do what no other man, including Mayweather, has done to first ballot Hall Of Famer Mosley in his 53 pro bout career.
Three days on The Strip and I’ve changed my mind more often than I change my socks, which I always try do at least weekly.
But now my mental fog is gone.
I’m like Johnny Nash, I can see clearly now.
This fight is going to be a mini-war for the first three rounds. By round two, both fighters will be throwing hammer blows. One or both may even briefly visit the canvas.
After nine minutes, the pace will slow markedly but Pacquiao will work at his usual frenetic pace and Mosley will be taking more shots than he ever has before.
Mosley will see openings but his reflexes will now allow to capitalize on them.
By the seventh round, the tide will be all Pacquiao and both referee Kenny Bayless and Mosley’s avuncular trainer, Naazim Richardson, will be mentally calculating the punishment Shane has taken and considering how much more he should be subjected to.
Bayless will hesitate to stop the match even after a clean knockdown or maybe two. The ref will giving Mosley the respect due him for his career accomplishments.
But it will the respected trainer from Philadelphia who rides to Mosley’s rescue. After eight full rounds, Mosley will return to the corner a beaten but unbowed man.
Richardson will be like caring Eddie Futch, stopping Joe Frazier’s wicked beating from Muhammad Ali in Manila in 1975.
The Naaz will inform Mosley and third man Bayless that enough of Pacquiao is enough.
And, for the third time, Pacquiao will have forcibly retired a worthy opponent who Mayweather could only defeat.
Manny Pacquiao winner by TKO 9.
Bet on it, I am.
