Roach's blarney aside, Pacquiao won't knock out Mosley Continue reading on Examiner.com: Roach's blarney aside, Pacquiao won't knock out Mosley - Nat

That slick Irish American named Coach Freddie Roach has set the bar a tad too high for superstar Manny Pacquiao.

"I know that Shane's a very durable fighter and he's never been stopped before in his life. But I'm really urging and encouraging Manny to fight an ever faster pace and to push this guy. This is because I want Manny to make a statement," Roach told Boxingscene's Lem Satterfield.

In my opinion, and noting that I continue my own backscatching by reminding all how I picked Vicious Victor Ortiz to upset Andre Berto, I am a skeptic.

I don't think Pacman can or will stop the 39 year old Mosley on May 7.

Winky Wright couldn't do it in two tries. Ditto for Vernon Forrest. Ditto for Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather.

Sure, Mosley has 376 pro rounds under his belt but, when he loses he drops decisions (excluding the soporific draw with awkward Mora).

Ray Leonard and his camp used to call a used up fighter "a punched ticket."

Mosley, whose KO total matches his chronoligical age, is a semi-punched ticket. He didn't have the relfexes or tactics necessary to thump the less talented Mora but don't blame a guy for having trouble fighting an octopus.

Mosley did have, lest we forget, the skill, the stamina and the fortitude to last 36 minutes with Floyd Mayweather last May 1.

And, while he wobbled "Money" briefly in round two, he did not do much else. Filling out the scorecards was just a formality. Nobody held their breath awaiting Michael Buffer's recitation of the tallies.

No, I forecast that the proud man from Pomona will still be standing when 12 rounds are completed.

Mosley will be take his thumping but be on his feet when the wide point totals are announced just like a battered Antonio Margarito and the unwilling to mix it up Joshua Clottey were after the same 36 minute excursion through hell against Pacman.

You have to go back 25 Pacquiao rounds, to the Cotto stoppage of Nov. 14, 2009, for a Manny KO victory.

Then you look to the demolition of Ricky Hatton, the KO 2, in which Hatton led with his chin and was flattened like a bicycle in the path of a cement mixer.

Even in his dotage, Mosley remains more formidable than "Margacheato" and the pacifistic Clottey.

I will concede that Cotto has more in his tank than Mosley now but let's stick with horses for courses.

If Pacman can halt Mosley, it will come late, probably in the final three rounds.

But I don't think it will.

Pacquiao will make a statement allright, just not the KO with an exclamation point statement that Roach wants his prized pupil to aspire to.

Whitewash. Shutout. El Blanko.

It says here Pacman romps. It says here it's a wide UD 12 for Manny, along the lines of the Magrarito scoring (120-108 shutout, 119-109 and 118-110) and the Clottey ballots (120-108 shutout, two 119-109 votes).

Pacquiao will score a lot of runs but he won't hit a homer.

Pride and his more than decent defense will keep Mosley erect.

He won't need any Viagara to make it to the finish line standing up.

Beating Mosley in a more lopsided manner than Mayweather did?

Is this possible? Is this necessary?

Not really, it's just some of Roach's usual prefight blarney.

Source: Examiner.com