This week?s 107th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured an exclusive interview with Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward, who along with some of the big name fighters from his stable, including Wladimir Klitschko, Chad Dawson, Miguel Cotto, and Andy Lee, have all made recent headlines. Emanuel spoke about these topics and also touched on other matters pertaining to the current boxing landscape, including Manny Pacquiao, Pacquiao versus Mosley, Domonique Dolton, Tyson Fury, and more!
His views on the upcoming fight between Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley:
?I can never find a reason to knock Manny Pacquiao because in the last six years he has not just worked hard to earn his reputation as the pound-for-pound best because, and I?ll be honest with you, the fights he fought in maybe the last couple of years, I haven?t been over impressed too much with them in terms of the opponents. In his earlier years here, when he first came to this country about six years ago and the fights now where they are fighting in all of these weight divisions, where you got to lose four pounds, you can?t come in doing this, you can?t do that, the Margarito fight. That is more of a great art and I give more credit to some degree to his great promoter who is phenomenal with what he did and his great matchmaker Bruce Trampler.
What made him impress me so much is what he did earlier. When he came here I was shocked when he beat Barrera and he beat him again, and then the great fights with Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez. I mean I can go on and on and on and on. He has just been totally phenomenal fighting the best and beating the best and competing on the top level, and only lost one I think to Morales. So that?s what really earned in my mind and my heart for him to be the best out here.
I think his fight with Shane Mosley, I can?t knock him. We all feel in boxing Shane is passed his prime. His last couple of fights with Mayweather and Mora were definitely not impressive. I think that he is entitled to have a fight of this type. To stay busy you cannot keep going. Every fight is not going to be a super fight. I mean you look at the history of all the great fighters, he did more than almost any fighter that I know of in modern times.
I myself would definitely have preferred to see him with Juan Manuel Marquez, but based on the politics and promotional things that go on in boxing that?s not going to happen. I think I can accept the fight he?s fighting Mosley but I would prefer Marquez. I can justify it to some degree because Mosley has still been a marquee fighter and he deserves a break. I think that Manny wins the fight but I cannot knock this fight, and if I was not doing the broadcast for this fight I would definitely buy it on pay-per-view or whatever it?s shown on because I think Manny has proven himself to be an exciting fighter in all of his fights. He?s never been a boring fighter, and Shane until his skills have started to wane a little bit has always fought with his heart. I think it?s going to be an interesting fight even though I feel Manny is going to win the fight, but whenever you have a fighter who has a lot of heart and determination you never can tell. Just during a fight where Manny Pacquiao?s mind can drift off for one minute or he?s not focused the way he should be because of his political job now, and this or that. When you have a fighter that?s in that situation going against a guy like that and he?s got a lot of determination, you?d be surprised how you could get an upset. So I think Shane with his track record of being a true warrior is a fighter that I can never count out. Even though I don?t believe he is going to win this fight, I would not be surprised if he fights a good fight or even wins if Manny is not focused or not prepared physically. That can happen in a fight with a guy like Manny because he?s legendary, and the fans are going crazy, and all of a sudden you start reading the clippings or whatever and you can slip. That?s why I think Freddie Roach is doing a good job, to the best of his ability of trying to keep him grounded.?
On where he believes Manny Pacquiao ranks amongst all time greats:
?Among all time greats, I would say he has to be in the top dozen, not so much for what he did not so much for what he did in the last couple of years, it?s the earlier part of his career that lasts about two or three years ago. When you keep fighting against the best continually, and that?s what I rank greatness on?performance against the best, not just all of these records and eight or nine championships. To me that doesn?t really mean anything. You got four different organizations, maybe five depending on what you want to respect, and every five pounds is a different weight division. But the fact that he?s fought some of the best, and most of the guys were future Hall of Fame guys themselves. He has performed on a top level and only lost one fight and knocked out that opponent, which was Morales, twice. Just to have this longevity, I would have to rate Pacquiao in the top dozen fighters of all time.?
