By Jorge Lugo: Freddy Roach has been saying along with many other people that he wants Floyd Mayweather Jr. next for Manny, and given his impressive stoppage of Cotto, it actually looks like this fight might take place. Unfortunately though, all this talk of a Manny Pacquiao vs. Mayweather Jr. fight needing to take place to prove who’s the best lead’s me to further ask the what if’s? If Manny Pacquiao beats Floyd Mayweather jr regardless of fashion, should he retire and continue into politics like so many say he will?

Or what about Floyd Mayweather Jr., if he beats Manny Pacquiao, should he retire from boxing and continue in his other interests like so many feel he will? I am almost positive that it may look like that may be the best thing for both fighters if either one wins as they say there is nothing left but, there is one thing that people are SHOCKINGLY missing!

That thing is called “Sugar” Shane Mosley, the CURRENT welterweight champion! Just like Cotto was recognized going into his fight with Pacquiao as a dominant force in the welterweight division, so is Shane Mosley recognized! Now, people may say “But Mosley lost to Cotto”, this may be true as he DID. But what people need to realize, and this is one of the reason’s Shane Mosley is still talked about in the sport today, is that he didn’t get destroyed by Cotto, he lost a very competitive and close fight with Cotto!

Antonio Margarito, the man that gave Cotto his first brutal loss, was demolished earlier this year in the same but QUICKER fashion than Miguel Cotto by Manny Pacquiao. Therefore Floyd Mayweather Jr and Pacquiao to simply fight each other and claim to be the best would be redundant without fighting Mosley! If you look at Mosley’s boxing record, his loses came from slug fests with Vernon Forrest(RIP), Winky Wright, and of course Cotto. These men all shared actual fights with Mosley and actually weren’t strategists as Pacquiao was (To Pacquiao’s benefit). However, as Wright and Forrest where in bigger weight classes, Mosley had to go up in weight to fight them. Now even though he lost those fights, the fact is that just as with the Cotto fight, Mosley still made his other loses in a heavier weight division very competitive! A weight division that Manny Pacquiao says is too much for him! Shane never gave a boring moment in those fights with bigger and stronger men. Strength I believe that Pacquiao can not afford to obtain without giving away a significant amount of his much needed speed to Mosley. Speed I believe, that Mosley has that is significantly equal or even faster than Floyd Mayweather Jr!

In September of this year, Shane Mosley stepped into a ring and called out a supposed best boxer of his time and what happened? A scared Floyd Mayweather Jr would take his anger out on the ring anouncer and later downplay a challenge everyone feels he should take! Strange enough, 3 months before that. Sugar Shane Mosley would make a challenge to the talked about sensation Manny Pacquiao. Offering to go down to 140 POUNDS to face him! Sadly, Shane Mosley’s plea would be unanswered as Manny would wait 1 MONTH to challenge a Miguel Cotto. Thus making a fight with Cotto official, ONE month after Cotto’s fight with Clottey. I am sorry, but Mosley has the most recognized belt in the welterweight division and has been off for a yr begging for people to fight him! For two of the best fighters out there to simply avoid him makes things clear, they know what Shane Mosley can do to them!

At the age of 38 years old, with 52 fights, 38 KO’S, 1 No contest and 5 competitive loses(2 to Wright, 2 to Forrest and 1 to Cotto). Shane Mosley has proved that he is def a needed fight for any fighter that wants to call them self the best. Anyone who feels otherwise is flat out lying! No matter what people say about his steroid scandal people can’t take away the truth. The fact is, before and after every fight the boxing commission tests ALL professional fighters! Mosley tested positive for steroids once and that was in his second fight with De la hoya (The first first I might add, Mosley beat a De la hoya in his prime). So regardless on whether he knew or not(which I believe he didn’t), Mosley tested positive one time and has not come up since.

Having wins over better opponents than Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr’s records respectively, Shane Mosley has got to be the best P4P fighter out there next to Manny (since he beat Cotto). If he happens to get past a true up and comer that is Andre Berto(which many believe he will), there should be no reason why the winner of Pacquiao-Mayweather Jr. shouldn’t fight him. Say what you will, love or hate him, ALL ROADS LEAD TO “SUGAR” SHANE MOSLEY!