Why Does Roach Want Pacquiao To Fight Mosley?
February 20th, 2009
By William Mackay: If Manny Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) defeats Ricky Hatton on May 2nd, we could very well be seeing Pacquiao take on World Boxing Association welterweight champion Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) in his next bout. Apparently, Pacquiao’s trainer, the great Freddie Roach, is all for it, calling it a “Great fight.” I don’t how he could even consider putting Pacquiao in with a fighter as big and as talented as Mosley, because this is a step too far for Pacquiao as far as I’m concerned.
You can’t count a victory over someone who was seemingly so unfit to box on that night due to starving himself to make weight. Hatton will be a big step up for Pacquiao, and it will take all that Pacquiao has to defeat him. When you bring in a fighter two inches bigger than Hatton and three inches taller than Pacquiao at 5’9″, it puts Pacquiao at a tremendous disadvantage in the fight and almost in an unwinnable position.
Why, then, would Roach be so interested in Pacquiao making this fight? Mosley, 37, is coming off a 9th round stoppage victory over Antonio Margarito on January 24th. Mosley dominated the entire fighting with his blazing fast hands and powerful combinations, hurting Margarito many times in the fight and dropping him in the 9th. Margarito at the time of the fight was considered to be the top welterweight in all of boxing, yet Mosley made him look like oaf.
Mosley would likely come into the fight at 160 after gaining weight following the weight in, and would have a minimum of a 15 pound advantage in weight over the short, 5’6″ Pacquiao. Some may think that Mosley is getting up there in age, and he may be, but he still has extraordinary speed, power, stamina and outstanding boxing skills.
It’s one thing that Pacquiao was good enough to beat a weight drained, washed up De La Hoya, but quite another kettle of fish to fight someone like Mosley who is strong, fast and not past his prime or starved like De La Hoya.
What is Roach thinking? He seems drunk on his victory over De La Hoya, way too overconfident from a victory that pretty much was meaningless because of De La Hoya’s condition that night. Probably any other welterweight in the division would have defeated De La Hoya on that night.
This is why Roach shouldn’t get too overanxious to put his fighter in with a fighter with so many advantages over the smaller Pacquiao.
If this fight were to take place, I would have to pick Mosley to win it. He’s faced better competition in his career, facing mostly fighters larger than Pacquiao, and is the naturally bigger fighter than Pacquiao. Although Pacquiao might be able to stay bulked up to fight Mosley, he won’t be as strong as Mosley and will have problems with Shane’s better power and size.
Tags: 26 Responses to “Why Does Roach Want Pacquiao To Fight Mosley?”
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I like Pacman but his win streak will end if he meets Mosley. Mosley is too fast and too strong for Pac. I believe Mosley will put him on the canvas in the 3rd or 4th round and win by TKO in less than 12 rounds.
Currently, Mayweather vs Pacquiao is what everyone would like to see and if it does happen, I predict… PacMan will take a “L” against Mayweather although it will be a very close fight.That may set up a Mosley vs Mayweather in late 2010.
now that hatton was demolished in two rounds– does this mean that the pacman will be able to stand against mosley– and probably KO mosley?
Roach just want boxing analysts like you to be wrong again. It’s not a game of size but speed, strenght and stamina. The knock-out punching power of Pacquiao is innate and his speed has develop by improvement in stamina. His stamina is greater 3 times his opponent because his using a secret and very effective conditioning supplement that is legal he and Roach only knew. Have you ever seen a boxer before that throws his punches more than Pacquiao did? Pacquiao will k.o. Mosley if they goes toe to toe because Pacquiao never get tired.
i think the pacman shocked everyone again by making hatton a very easy prey for a brutal knock out. i knew the pacman was going to win considering hatton’s fighting style; but i never thought the pacman would deliver a devastating knock out. mosley is big but he’s also getting old– that is probably why roach has some confidence on the pacman fighting mosley. margarito was simply a monstrous welterweight but not truly skilled; mosley was too fast for margarito. the pacman, if he continues to show an improvement in skill and strength in both fists, is becoming a strong junior welterweight.
He does it because its win-win for Pacquiao (assuming he beats Hatton and sets this fight up). If Pac beats Mosley, Pacquiao quite possibly becomes a top 10 fighter of all-time considering he’d have been a champion of 5 weight divisions. If he loses, but doesnt get blown out of the water, he’ll be heralded as a fighter with great heart to have actually challenged a fighter clearly bigger than he was.
Sure, Pacquiao would be the huge underdog, but a loss to Mosley wouldnt tarnish his career at all. Pacquiao would be clearly fighting out of his comfort zone in terms of size and weight, something no one has really done since Roy Jones Jr. and thats what boxing needs – for the best to really challenge themselves to become legends in the sport like those in the past had done.
mosley looked tired in the later rounds. and his punches also looked tired. margarito lost to a more skilled boxer in mosley. the pacman on the otherhand only looked tired in the match with marquez on the 12th- he continued to swing but it didn’t look like the usual snap in the earlier rounds. the pacman did not look tired at all with diaz or dela hoya because these two didn’t sting the pacman. mosley would be handful for his strength and skills- but when mosley lose to the pacman he too will suddenly be dismissed as old and decrepid. the weakness of pacman is marquez’ style, boxing and accurate counter punching. i don’t see this effective in mosley against pacman. margarito dominates by sheer monstrosity but he doesn’t have good defense. now, the pacman has guns in both defense and offense. the only advantage of mosley is the old boxing logic based on size. the pacman has been defying this logic since he first stepped in the ring when he was a young boy, lying about his age and putting metal in his shoes to make weight. it’s not the size of one’s frame that would matter it’s the whip of his punches, his agile speed and lateral movements, and the odd angles at which he can throw punches from both hands.
if hatton is such a strong puncher, why was he not able to knockdown malignaggi, who fought him with one hand in the later rounds. hatton won by stoppage on the 11th. hatton buckled paulie’s knees in an earlier round but was even then not able to finish him off. hatton did not look that quick nor that strong fighting a one-handed, non-power puncher malignaggi.
its possible that freddie is calling out these fighters as a publicity stunt, keeping the interest in his fighter alive…which is not a bad marketing strategy, it dont cost jack**** and really gets the speculation going.i believe he got away with the great train robbery against DLH but freddie knows the odds are too bad for pacman against the other elite welters…i reckon they will beat ricky in a tough fight and then fight that clown mayweather and fianlly call it a day.
be careful..
humble pie doesn’t taste nice at all….
haven’t you learned enough yet?
this fight will happen bec of money, yes, bec a boxer boxes for a living… mosley vs pacman is a fight. if pacman beats sugar shane that would mean something… again… not always about the money… let the best of the best fight each other… hatton will loose…
because of money, what else! that fight with mosley would sell big time..but i agree with you, mosley is too much for pacman..i want pacman to stay at 140 and fight valero, victor ortiz or a third fight with marquez..there are so many big fights at 140 and pacman doesn’t have to go to 147 where he is at a disadvantage..forget about the money pacman! you already have it..concentrate on establishing yourself as one of the best boxers. stop listening to the leeches around you who are only after your money!
he couldnt beat barera
couldnt beat morales
couldnt beat marquez
could beat diaz
too small for oscar
after the fight always excuses!!!
after he beat mosley youll say hes too old, hes slow, hes shot
pac is so good that he makes his oponents look shot!!!
If this would happen and Pac beats the roid Sugar, all pac haters and this f***king writer will say: “Oh! Mosley grows old, overnight! wtf!”
Nothing new, i’d say
I think freddie roach is still on the booze celebrating mannys last win coming out with this nonsence! Manny must of included freddie in his will cause i think hes trying to get him killed!
Far to much hype surrounding manny at the moment.. all eyes are on him. Think Hatton will quietly get on with his job and KO him on May 2nd… Millions of people around the world will watch him fall saying.. “that wasnt suppose to happen”… i do smell an upset
Freddie roach probably thinks manny could beat vitali klitschko aswell
lol about da roach being a bit nuts mosley would kill him and yh maybe not 6th but hatton will stop him put money on it !!!!
jono not josh
Nah i gotta agree with that josh person Maybe not the 6th but i think hatton will stop him and juan lazcano was a big puncher and hadnt been knocked out 4 10 yrs after his loss too Golden Johnson when he was just 23 hes a fighter that just stays up no matter how much punishment he takes…. who was also a fighter who 1 fight before hatton fought Vivian Harris in a WBC Light Welterweight Title Eliminator he must have been erally blown up journey man
you do the maths he hasnt been beat so convisingly for years and has fought in many title fights …!
i cant see why people in here are trying to say that hatton will knock-out manny in the 6th round? he coudn’t even KO a blown-up featherweight journeyman named lazcano? i certainly hope you people know how to compare the PACMAN(Pound for Pound #1 fighter in the world) against blown up feather weight journeyman LAZCANO? your predictions of a win by hatton via KO is ridiculous lolz ^^
to be honest … a lot of the arguments being made here re similar to those made before the de la hoya fight. yes, de la hoya was weight drained but we also have to remember that roach also said pacquiao should only fight 2, 3 more times at most and then call it a day. fighting mosely would fit perfectly into that plan as he would be a bigger cash cow than most ppl manny could and would fight.
plus, he doesn t have much to lose against mosley. a loss would be argued to the height and weight advantage that mosely benefits from
I just cant see many ways that pacman could beat sugar shane and you cant fight a world class fighter like mosley and not get caught with atleast a few massive punches and then you have to ask yourself WOULD pac-man take them in my opinion no he would be put in his place severly and thisis what hatton will do to him aswell people are sayin if hatton cant hit pac-man he will easily win wat a stupid thing to say you cant fight hatton for 12 grusom rounds and not expect to be caught by some huge punches and then again will pacman crumble under these punches i feel so 6th round KO to hatton … Freddie to throw the towel in !
I know someone who had Mosley dropped his butt on the canvas during a sparring session, that was when he sparred the unknown Jhoniel Maestrado. Mosley had his left eye closed after the sparring and Jhoniel was thrown from the gym of doing that to Mosley.
lol freddie roach is turning crazy. If he puts manny in with mosley or cotto he will be destroyed. sorry but the pacman is destined for a fall back down to earth!! i think earlier than expected aswell (Hatton)
and when i say Hatton will have too much class and weight im not saying Hattons better than Pacquiao, im just saying to face a lightwelter is a big task for Pacman, and facing Hatton is the biggest task he could of picked. Hattons too good at light welter for Pacman.
I cant believe somebody with as much boxing savy as Roach is all of a sudden blinded by Pacmans victory.
Who knows, maybe pacquiao has improved to such a massive extent he really is ready to take another step up in weight and class.
I mean what if he demolishes Hatton? What if the extra weight he needs all turns into muscle and energy and his body really is up to the task of moving up and up.
If that was the case a fight with Mosley would be fantastic viewing. Personally i cant see it, I think Hatton will prove to be too much of a step up in class and weight and all thoughts of Mosley will disspear pretty quick.
But you cant just dismiss Freddie Roach like you would a Chris Williams or Scott Gifoid. The man knows his boxing he isnt just some bitter jumped up little tit.