Pound for pound champion Manny Pacquiao completed his high altitude training in the Philippines last week and landed stateside over the weekend prepared for four weeks of intensive sparring at the Wild Card in Los Angeles.
By all accounts unlike the camp prior to his November bout against Antonio Margarito, this trip to Baguio has been a very productive one for Pacquiao, with trainer Freddie Roach even commenting that the distractions that usually plague the congressman have been kept to a minimum.
Roach, talking to MPboxing.com shortly after landing in Los Angeles, said of the Baguio camp:
"We had a great start, he's very motivated, his intensity is great, we're just going to pick up the sparring a lot here and his motivation is going to be the same. He's not taking this guy lightly, he knows that the guy has experience and experience is knowledge and we can't underestimate Shane Mosley"
As focused and intense as his training was in Baguio, Freddie Roach has also stated in several recent interviews that the Wild Card will be closed to members of the media so as not to distract Pacquiao ahead of his May bout with future hall of famer Shane Mosley.
Pacquiao also started his training for Mosley several weeks early, and has commented in just about every interview that he has given that he isn't overlooking Mosley and that he knows that the Californian will be a dangerous opponent.
So clearly despite the ever lengthening odds against him, neither Pacquiao nor trainer Freddie Roach are taking Shane Mosley lightly.
So just how dangerous is Mosley, and how does he stack up against Pacquiao's other recent opponents, namely Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito?
In terms of his record against former Pacquiao opponents, Mosley has something of a mixed track record, dismantling Margarito over 9 rounds in 2009 but losing a close decision to Cotto two years before that.
Looking at what he actually brings to the table as an opponent though perhaps reveals why Pacquiao and Roach are taking him so seriously, and even maybe why the build up to the fight has been lacking in much promotional drama thus far.
Pacquiao is hittable, and Mosley alone among his recent conquests possesses one shot knockout power throughout a fight.
Mosley also has a granite chin, having never been stopped against some of the best opponents available over four divisions and isn't as easy to hit as the likes of Margarito.
His hand speed could also give Pacquiao problems, particularly in the early stages.
Would it be a stretch then to say that Mosley should be Pacquiao's most difficult opponent in the last few years?
Probably not.
As Mosley's doubters will point out though, he is close to 40 years of age and on at least one recent occasion has run out of gas in an intense fight.
He's also without a win in two years, and has only fought twice since then.
Once against Floyd Mayweather, a fight in which he troubled the undefeated and enigmatic one in the early rounds before tiring.
Once against reputed spoiler Sergio Mora in an uninspiring fight that did little for the reputations of either fighter.
As much as certain sections of the media might dislike the match up though, Mosley it appears was still the best option available.
Young WBC champion Andre Berto has still to test himself against a genuine big name. Juan Manuel Marquez is still a lightweight without any record higher than this. Floyd Mayweather is still out of the picture.
The truth of the matter however is that we simply don't know what Mosley will bring until the fight has started.
He could be Pacquiao's biggest test since Marquez given his stylistic advantages.
He could fold after three rounds due to his age and Pacquiao's pressure.
The fact that Pacquiao and Roach have been all business in their approach to the fight at the very least tells us that they aren't as sure of an easy win over Mosley as they have been against past opponents.
Source: Examiner.com
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