By Allen Hmiel: Super Soft Sugar Shane Mosley (46-6-1) once a champion is now just an aging almost 40 year old pug looking for a nice check. In his last 14 fights, going back 9 years, Soft Shane is 6-6- with 1 draw and 1 NC and 11 of those fights went the full distance. Hardly a record of a devastating hard puncher or a great finisher. Does Mosley actually think that lasting the full 12 rounds against the great Manny Pacquiao would be a moral victory for the fast fading older, skill depleted fighter?

Mosley, with his boxing skills and lack of championship conditioning and stamina exposed by Mayweather and the average Sergio Mora, is in another dilemma. Does Mosley even have a chance of lasting against the super fast and hard hitting Manny Pacquiao. Yes, we all know that Shane can give it a go for 3-4 rounds until realizing, that he needs to put it into coast mode to last the 12 rounds and escape or survive with the moral victory of standing at the final bell.

Is lasting all 12 rounds, what Mosley’s plan will be against Manny? Judging from the past 9 years of mediocre results and 11 of 14 fights going the distance you can be assured Mosley is going to do just that-Survive! Mosley isn’t the only fighter that as he gets older and his skills erode quickly tries to last until the final bell( Bernard Hopkins also comes to mind). But, is that the expected championship effort desired by the paying PPV boxing fans? Do fans want to see Old Shane back-peddling and running just to last 36 minutes and then raise his tired short arms up in the air for another moral victory? No. But that is what the fans are going to get from the Mosley performance on May 7th.

Shane cannot beat Manny Pacquiao and he knows this, but for the multimillion dollar payday and boxing’s current low expectations of not matching fighters against the best opponents does it matter? Shane will show up and fight Manny for a couple of rounds, giving some effort until his legs get tired and his his face gets tired of stopping hundreds of lighting quick blows from Manny. Then let the survival mode of Mosley kick in. Watch as Mosley clinches, hugs and holds for the next 8 rounds hoping and praying for that final bell. Is this really a championship fight? Hell no, but it is what boxing has come to be- lively entertainment and matching the current champion with the least dangerous opponent willing to survive and be grateful for the opportunity to lose and to stay a millionaire.