Pacquiao isn't looking past Mosley

LOS ANGELES -- Only one thing is certain in Manny Pacquiao's future: On May 7, he will fight Shane Mosley in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, in his final days in Los Angeles preparing for his match to be held at the MGM Grand, refuses to talk past Mosley, although he acknowledged Tuesday he would not back out from a Juan Manuel Marquez fight right after this one.

"There is a big possibility," said Pacquiao, 33, shortly before a training session at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing Club in Beverly Hills. "That is what [Top Rank promoter] Bob Arum says, that we are fighting with Marquez. I would like that fight to happen."

Pacquiao, the WBO welterweight champ who has won 10 belts in eight classes during his pro career, has faced Marquez twice, scoring a draw in the first showdown in 2004 and escaping with a 12-round split decision in 2008.

Richard Schaefer, president of Oscar De la Hoya-owned Golden Boy Promotions, an occasional partner with Arum to promote fights, told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael that promoter Top Rank has made an offer for a Marquez-Pacquiao showdown.

But Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, said even though a couple of names have been bounced around, there has been no final word on whom Pacquiao will face after Mosley, 39.

Roach would love to see a rematch with Antonio Margarito, whom his protégé beat in November 2010 via unanimous decision.

"Margarito, I think, is the natural next opponent," Roach said. "He deserves the rematch. They had two very good fights; he thinks he won both of those. He's a real thinker, and that's the fight I would like to see."

What about Floyd Mayweather, who was close to fighting Pacquiao about a year ago until a disagreement over drug-testing protocol tabled the bout?

"Right now, I don't have any idea about that fight because right now I'm very focused on this fight with Mosley," said Pacquiao, who has three losses in his 57-bout career. "I think we will talk about that after the fight."

While talk about a possible match with Mayweather still exists, Pacquiao continues training for his May 7 compromise with Mosley, who lost in May 2010 to Mayweather via unanimous decision and then drew with Sergio Mora later that year.

"I think Shane Mosley is a very good fighter. He didn't look that great on his last two fights because of the styles he fought," said Roach, a former boxer. "You look at his last good fight, when he fought Margarito, he looked great in that fight. He kind of surprised the world by beating him up, and Shane loves people that attack him and Manny Pacquiao is one of those guys that will attack."

Pacquiao said he has focused on speed and styles since his training camp started and that he will be ready for anything Mosley will offer him.

"He has a different style compared to Margarito or somebody else," said Pacquiao. "I'm not worried about that. When we fight, I'm ready for that. My condition is good, but I don't want to underestimate Mosley because he is also bigger than me and he is also a good fighter."

Pacquiao, who is a congressman representing the Sarangani province in his native Philippines and is also a professional singer, insists that those things don't have any effect on his training or his performance in the ring.

"It's just finding the time … Pacquiao time!" he said with a laugh. "If you love your work and manage your time, you can do everything."

Roach said when the time comes to step in the ring, Pacquiao's focus is solely on boxing.

"From day one he's been so motivated for this fight," Roach said. "We had the best start we've ever had, I think this might be the best training camp we ever had … he's just in phenomenal shape right now."

If, as expected, Pacquiao beats Mosley, he said his only goal will be spending some quality time with his family.

"After this fight I'm going back to [the] Philippines and go back to work … and dedicate time to my family," Pacquiao said.

Source: sports.espn.go.com