LAS VEGAS ? WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao?s assistant trainer and boyhood pal Buboy Fernandez said even if he knew Sugar Shane Mosley couldn?t win, there was always the danger of a lucky punch in the 12-round bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena here Saturday night (yesterday morning, Manila).
Fernandez worked Pacquiao?s corner with Freddie Roach, Alex Ariza and cutman Miguel Diaz during the fight. In between rounds, he translated Roach?s instructions and often whispered reminders to Pacquiao.
?I anticipated what Mosley would do,? said Fernandez. ?I knew he wouldn?t chase Manny. I expected him to stand his ground and counter. The plan was for Manny to go in and out, to throw four or five punches every time Mosley would throw one.?
But Fernandez said although Pacquiao dominated from start to finish, he couldn?t be too careful.
?I whispered to Manny to keep his hands up,? said Fernandez. ?Mosley?s big and strong. His plan was to hit Manny with a lucky punch, just one shot to knock him out. So I told Manny not to give him confidence to throw the right. That every time Mosley throws, to give back four or five so he won?t think of throwing again.?
The strategy worked like a charm. After going down in the third round, Mosley got gun-shy. He sacrificed his offense to hold up his arms, protecting his head. All he wanted was to survive.
Fernandez noticed that Mosley hardly threw the right and his theory was Sugar Shane didn?t want to get hit by a counter left. ?Manny practiced a lot of new things in the gym,? said Fernandez. ?Since we knew what Mosley would try to do, we worked on counters with the left and right. Manny didn?t give Mosley a chance. Mosley got scared. Manny was too quick.?
At the Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Marlon Beof in the South Pacific Event Center of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino the morning of the fight, Fernandez carried Pacquiao?s championships belts to the altar for the priest?s blessing.
Before Pacquiao?s fight, Fernandez and Nonoy Neri worked the corner of former WBC lightflyweight champion Rodel Mayol of Mandaue in a 10-round bout against Javier Gallo of Tijuana. Mayol weighed in at 112 pounds and Gallo, 114. Mayol, who now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Lira and their two children, pounded out a win by majority decision. Judge Jerry Roth and Lisa Giampa both saw it 98-92 for Mayol. The third judge C. J. Ross saw it 95-all and was roundly booed.
