By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach has hinted that his fighter World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will be using quick in and out attacks for the first five or six rounds against 39-year-old Shane Mosley tonight in Las Vegas. In other words, Roach plans on having Pacquiao box Mosley instead of rushing him and looking to overwhelm him with punches the way that Pacquiao has done with pretty much all of his opponents in the past three years.

I’m here to say that if Pacquiao uses that approach to the fight he could end up losing by a 12 round decision because he’ll give away too many rounds and give Mosley a lot of confidence for second half of the fight. The problem with trying to box a fighter like Mosley is that Pacquiao doesn’t have the boxing skills or the high and height and reach to box a skilled fighter like Mosley and win. That’s like trying to beat a master chess player using one basic game that he’s already well aware of.

Pacquiao isn’t a boxer and can only get over on slow, limited fighters like Antonio Margarito when boxing. Pacquiao can’t out-box a quality fighter like Mosley, even though Mosley is ripe to be beaten at 39. Pacquiao is a slugger first and foremost and Roach hasn’t made much changes to his basic nature. Sure, Pacquiao can briefly ape some of the boxers but he can’t consistently box without going back to his slugging nature. Plus, Pacquiao’s short arms makes it necessary for him to come forward and expose his head to big shots. Pacquiao’s got a big target to hit on his shoulders and will be there for Mosley to hit all night.

Instead of having Pacquiao give up a lot of rounds by trying to box Mosley, he needs to go right at him and look to wear the nearly 40-year-old fighter out with a sustained attack. That’s how you beat an old fighter like Mosley, not by fighting in spurts. If Pacquiao follows Roach’s game plan, he will only be giving Mosley plenty of rest breaks to recover in between attacks. Pacquiao needs to fight like a Tsunami and just crash over Mosley until he wears down. I’m starting to think Roach his losing it. He’ll have Pacquiao lose the fight with his backwards game plan.