Shane Mosley waited and waited for Manny Pacquiao to commit the mistake that never came. Instead, he found himself making one that changed the rest of his evening in yet another futile attempt to wrest the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown from Filipino boxing icon.
Mosley was doing fine with his jabs in the first two rounds until Pacquiao landed his signature getting-to-know-each-other-punch in the third round, a thundering left straight that landed smack on the face. It sent Mosley on his pants before rolling on his side very dazed.
From there, whatever fight that was left in Mosley was completely gone. He began backpedaling in the fifth round as Pacquiao continued to press for the knockout.
By the sixth round, Mosley was on survival mode and was completely shut out except for a ?gift? knockdown in the 10th round.
Pacquiao and Mosley were locked in close exchanges when the challenger pushed Manny with his right hand. It sent Manny tumbling back on the ropes. Referee Kenny Bayless gave a surprised and protesting Pacquiao a mandatory eight count which, without it Mosley would have been totally shut out of the fight. Replays clearly showed it was a shoved not a punch that sent Manny to the canvass.
It was Pacquiao?s 14th straight victory further solidifying his status and grip as the world?s best pound for pound boxer.
Fear factor
Mosley showed too much respect for the Filipino champion who climbed into the ring looking to engage the 39-year old American in an entertaining exchange of powerful punches that both are noted for.
But it was the Filipino who showed who was the better and bigger puncher.
Even when he was throwing his jabs in the first round, Mosley was very tentative and never let loose his signature punch ? the overhead right hand ? for two reasons: Pacquiao never gave him the opportunity and the Filipino champion took the will to fight from him.
Mosley looked scared and frozen whenever Manny feinted and faked his attacks which boxing fans saw many of them in the night.
The powerful Pacquiao left straight set up by a right jab with less than a minute left in the third round sent Mosley to the canvass with fears into his eyes. It was only the third time he was ever knocked down. Yet it probably was the strongest punch among those put downs.
Pacquiao was simply too fast and too quick for Mosley to handle. For a guy who made a living putting the daylights out of aggressive fighters, Mosley was not even a shell of his old self. He never had the confidence to engage Pacquiao in a brawl even if the Filipino offered himself several times.
Manny, too, mixed up his attacks to confuse Mosley. He would throw lead right hooks to the face and to the body, left straights to face and to the body. Sometimes feinting, sometimes lunging with his left straights. He gave everything for Mosley to think. And against Manny, before you can even think his punches are already landing.
Fleeting excitement
Many Filipino boxing fans came to watch an entertaining fight, one even better than Manny?s lopsided victory against Antonio Margarito.
They went home disappointed. Manny at the Sarangani Provincial Gym where more than 3,000 fans watched the fight live were already headed towards the exit even before the outcome was announced. The only time that brought the house down and the crowd to their feet was when Manny landed his patented left straight to the kisser of Mosley. Otherwise, they were also booing Mosley like those at the MGM Grand whose disappointment can be heard in the live telecast that became even more boring because there were no live color commentaries to somehow light up the crowd. Talk about missing Dyan Castillejo?s high pitched voice or Chino Trinidad?s often annoying side comments.
