PACQUIAO VS. MOSLEY?
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 26 Jan 2009
Sugar Shane Mosley scored an upset knockout victory over Antonio Margarito at 0:43 of the 9th round to win the WBA welterweight championship. In that finishing round, Mosley unleashed lethal combinations that pummeled Margarito against the ropes prompting the referee to stop the onslaught.
Prior to the fight, Mosley replaced his father Jack Mosley as his trainer with Nazim Richardson, who trained the 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins to his astonishing conquest over the younger and stronger Kelly Pavlik last October.
"We plan to make Margarito fight a Shane Mosley fight," Richardson said before the bout. "We'll be maneuvering. I do feel just as confident here with Shane as I did with Bernard before Pavlik, more so. I understood the questions about Bernard's age. He was way past 40. I don't understand it with Shane. He's not past his prime. I see his tenaciousness, and the truth will reveal itself.?
Mosley really did defy father time and knocked out Margarito?s chance to face the world?s number one pound-for-pound boxer Manny Pacquiao. He said the Margarito style is nothing new to him for he has fought with numerous aggressive Latino fighters.
"Of course, I grew up in California fighting these kinds of fights," Mosley said. "Most Mexicans are strong and come right at you. I know how to handle it. I can be around the war, but not in the war."
Now Pacquiao and Mosley have one thing in common. Both have conquered Oscar de la Hoya, once the most precious jewel of boxing. At 37, Mosley is still a very dangerous fighter who can take on anybody anytime.
The fight filled up the Staples Center, the biggest ever assembled there, with predominantly Latino crowd which had the surprise of their lives. Now, the Mexicans lost another good fighter in Margarito. And Mosley?s fading career got another leash of life and it?s back to the limelight for the warrior who defeated the Golden Boy not once, but twice.
Is Mosley ready to take on Pacquiao in place of Margarito? He scored a great upset on the Tijuana Tornado just like what Pacquiao did to the Golden Boy. Mosley was Oscar?s curse and he did it when de la Hoya was still in his prime. Manny did it when Oscar can?t pull the trigger anymore. But can Sugar Shane pull the trigger against Pacman?
Another good option is for Mosley and Miguel Angel Cotto to face one more time and the winner will face Pacquiao. Cotto beat Mosley by a very close decision in one of the best fights of the year 2007. While Margarito gave Cotto his first career loss by an 11th-round TKO last July 26.
A Pacquiao-Mosley fight would not entice much the fanatic Latino crowd, which predominantly cheered for Margarito in Los Angeles. Pay-per-view may not sell as much as the fight with de la Hoya, who is a Mexican-American or Ricky Hatton, a Briton. And Mosley might look like David Diaz in a fight with the Pacman. One thing is sure though, the welterweight division is very much alive and kicking.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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