LAS VEGAS ? By the fourth round Saturday night, it was becoming apparent that Shane Mosley was not in it to win it.
He was passive, defensive and unwilling – or perhaps unable – to pull the trigger on his punches, having tasted Manny Pacquiao’s power a round earlier when a straight left sent him to the canvas.
Turns out, it was only the beginning of a long evening for Mosley, who lost a lopsided 12-round decision to Pacquiao, boxing’s undisputed pound-for-pound king, and also for the 16,412 fans who packed the MGM Grand Garden Arena hoping to see an entertaining evening of combative sport.
What they got instead was an episode of Dancing With the Stars.
From the start of their WBO welterweight title match, Mosley appeared interested only in surviving and protecting his legacy of never having been knocked out.
If that was his intent, he succeeded. But it made for a boring fight.
“I was expecting him to fight toe-to-toe at least five of the 12 rounds so we could test our power, our stamina,” Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) said afterward. “But what could I do if my opponent doesn’t want to fight? It’s not my fault.”
Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs) said blisters on his feet limited his mobility, while Pacquiao noted he suffered from leg cramps as early as the fourth round.
Perhaps that helps explain Pacquiao’s performance, which wasn’t up to the standards that had made the congressman from the Philippines the most exciting fighter in the game.
But part of Pacquiao’s subpar effort also can be traced to Mosley’s reluctance to trade punches. The former three-division champ looked every bit like a fighter within sight of his 40th birthday and not the speedy, explosive athlete who beat Oscar De La Hoya twice in thrilling fashion.
“You can’t blame age,” Mosley said afterward. “Manny is an exceptional fighter. He has speed and power that I have never felt before.”
Whatever it was that prompted Mosley’s dismal work rate, the fans didn’t seem to care. They booed lustily at various times after sitting through round after round of lackluster action.
The official scorecards read 119-108, 120-108 and 120-107, all for Pacquiao.
The final punch stats further reflect the bout’s one-sided nature and Mosley’s reluctance to engage. Pacquiao landed 182 of 552 punches and 134 of 284 power shots. Mosley landed 82 of 260 punches – half of Pacquiao’s output – and a paltry 31 of 61 power shots.
The Pomona, Calif., resident will be in the Hall of Fame someday. But Saturday in Las Vegas, he clearly wasn’t in it to win it.
