Pacquiao enters final two weeks of training
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 24 Apr 2011
With everything believed to have been put in place ? physical condition, stamina, power and speed; world welterweight championship protagonists Manny Pacquiao and ?Sugar? Shane Mosley enter the crucial last two weeks of their preparations aimed at applying the finishing touches on the game plans and strategies they will exploit in their May 7 (May 8 in Manila) encounter in Las Vegas.
Both Filipino 147-pound belt-holder Pacquiao and challenger Mosley have declared themselves in tip-top shape for what is expected slambang 12-round confrontation, each promising to destroy one another to justify the fight that has drawn flaks from experts and fans alike.
Pacquiao will, of course, seeking the distinction of becoming the first man to ever stop the American in his long boxing career, while Mosley will try to prevent that and himself attempt to cut short the Filipino ring idol?s string of 13 straight victory in the span of five years.
Except for the fact that Mosley is decidedly the bigger, heftier and the heavier boxer in terms of fight records, his camp has yet to divulge what their game plan is to accomplish his target.
As for Pacquiao?s chief trainer Freddie Roach, the way to attaining the goal no fighter has yet accomplish is simple ? sapped the 39-year-old?s three-division champ?s energy by starting strong and fast in order not to allow Mosley use his huge advantage in terms of physical attributes.
Roach believes the key to winning is for his ward to pummel the challenger with body shots from the opening bell on to wear him down.
?I want Manny to box him and break his body down,? he said during last week?s m,edia day at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. ?While Everybody has usually gone after Mosley?s chin, I wasn?t Manny to go to the body, break that body down and take his legs away from him,.? Roach bared before media men.
?Shane has a strong chin and the plan is to stop him late in the fight with those body shots.We?ve been really concentrating on the body. That?s part of our game plan,? he expounded in an overseas interview with Malaya Business Insight. .
?Shane is a good boxer, good speed and uses a lot of techniques. He feints a lot, he gets you out of position, very clever and we just have to nullify that and take that away from him if we can,? he added.
Pacquiao, a lawmaker representing the province of Sarangani in the Lower House, for his part, said he?s ready for everything Mosley will dish out once the bell rings.
?I?m ready [for anything],? said Pacquiao. ?Whatever his style in the ring. I?m ready for that.?
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In his entire, soon-to-be Hall of Fame boxing career of 54 fights with six losses and 46 wins, 39 KOs, Mosley has never been defeated via stoppage. While most boxers his age have already gone downhill and suffered horrible knockout losses in the latter end of their career, Mosley has remained in good fighting form. Roach noted.
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?I?m confident Manny will become the first person to knockout Mosley,? Roach said, reaffirming what he?s been saying right from the start ot training in Baguio City. ?It?ll be icing on the cake for Manny and prove that he?s truly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.?
Pacquiao, who has a knack for doing the impossible, has destroyed his rivals the past five years where he has moved up several weight classes and gone against the best of each division.
Pacquiao?s last loss occurred in 2005 in the first of a trilogy with Mexican legend Erik Morales. Since then, he?s fought 13 times and have stopped his opponents either by knockout or fight stoppage in 10 of those bouts, two of them involving Morales in their next two meetings.
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Pacquiao, the reigning welterweight titleholder and an eight-division-world-boxing-champion, is much more reserved though than his outspoken trainer about the possibility of becoming the first person to knockout Mosley.
?Sa lahat ng naging laban ko, hindi ko inisip na manalo ng knockout,? the pound-for-pound king said. ?Basta ako, focus lang, gawin ang lahat ng magagawa ko para manalo. Yung knockout dumadating yun.?
?Mosley can still fight,?Pacquiao said as he shows respect for his opponent. . ?He?s fast. He moves fast and this time he trained real hard for this fight.?
?I know he?s really determined to shock the world,? he added.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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