In a year of upsets, can 39 year-old ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley do the unthinkable?

   If boxing has taught us anything this year, it’s that you can’t count a fighter out- no matter how great the odds. In the last month alone, we have witnessed three monumental upsets that have changed the course of the game. From Orlando Salido’ triumph over previously unbeaten Juan Manuel Lopez, to Victor Ortiz’ valiant effort over Andre Berto, to  30-1 underdog Nobuhiro Ishida’s stunning upset over James Kirkland, we’ve seen more surprises in one month, then we did in all of last year.

   Shane Mosley will look to continue boxing’s trend of upsets when he challenges Manny Pacquiao for the World Boxing Organization welterweight title tomorrow night, in Las Vegas. Despite the fact that he is seen as an 8-1 underdog, the future hall of famer remains steadfast in his belief of victory. A veteran of 17 years, Mosley has been in this position before. Back in January 2009, the Lynwood, CA, native faced similar odds when he took on one of the most feared fighters in the sport in Antonio Margarito. Prior to the fight there were many in the boxing community that feared for the safety and wellbeing of the then 37-year-old fighter. By the end of the night, everyone feared for the health of Margarito as his corner would be forced to throw in the towel after a masterful nine-round performance by Mosley.

   Since the career defining victory, Mosley has found it difficult to replicate the magic of that night. Instead, he has looked rather listless in his last two outings against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sergio Mora. And he isn’t getting any younger; Mosley is set to turn 40 in September. Still, the three division former champion believes that he can once again rise to the occasion as he did when he faced Margarito. He is quick to point out that in Pacquiao’s last fight (coincidentally) against Margarito; the fighter from Tijuana was able to connect a record 229 times onto the frame of the Filipino (the most out of any opponent Pacquiao has faced). “If Margarito is fast enough to land punches on Manny Pacquiao than I know I am fast enough to land punches on Manny Pacquiao” said the optimistic Mosley.

   Another thing that Mosley has going for him, is the fact that in 52 professional fights he has never been stopped; doing so would mean that Pacquiao would have to make history as the first fighter to achieve this feat. 

   The eight-division champion is no stranger to history. In fact, him and history are such bedfellows that Nike came up with a line of t-shirts that read Manny Knows titles  in honor of his historic feat of winning eight titles in eight different weight classes.

   While Pacquiao may seem rather coy on the topic of registering a knockout, his trainer Freddie Roach appears to be hell-bent on making sure that his charge makes Mosley knockout victim number 39. “It would be incredible for Manny to be the first one to stop him and just prove to the world how much better he is than that guy that couldn’t stop him (Floyd Mayweather Jr.) said Roach. Reports out of the Wildcard Gym implicate that Pacquiao is having one of the best camps of his career. Unlike in his previous fights, all the distractions that come along with being a superstar/congressman have been put to the backburner. This could mean a long night for Mosley.

The Challenger:
“Sugar” Shane Mosley
(46-6-1, 39 KOs)
Age: 39 Height: 5’9″
Reach: 74″
Stance: Orthodox
Representing: Pomona, California

Credentials: Three-division World Champion, with victories over Oscar De La Hoya (2), Antonio Margarito, Fernando Vargas (2), and Ricardo Mayorga.

Sweet Talkin’: ‘Sugar’ Shane speaks…

   On why he was chosen for this fight: “I think that people see my power and they know I will bring an exciting fight. I think that’s what it is. And also the fans choose to see the knockouts. They want to see someone who has some power. They want to see a fight where there is risk being taken. So for this fight it’s very risky for someone like Manny Pacquiao to fight someone like myself. So people want to see what’s going to happen. Is Manny going to get knocked out? Or is Manny going to knock Shane out? The unpredictability of the fight arouses people around the world. Anything can happen.”

   On being such a heavy underdog: “It gives me a lot of motivation to overcome. I don’t read too much into it. I don’t care that people are saying I’m an underdog or not. What matters is what happens in the ring. It only matters what happens on May 7. That’s the only thing that matters.”

   On whether he has the speed to defeat Pacquiao: “I look at different fights and I see in the Margarito fight that Margarito landed the most punches ever on Manny Pacquiao. So, if Margarito is fast enough to land punches on Manny Pacquiao than I know I am fast enough to land punches on Manny Pacquiao.”     

The Champion
Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOS)
Age: 32 Height: 5’6.5 Reach: 67″
Stance: Southpaw
Representing: General Santos City, Philippines

Credentials: Eight-Division World Champion. Currently ranks as The Ring Magazine’s best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, with victories over Marco Antonio Barrera (2), Erik Morales (2), Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, and Antonio Margarito.

Pac-man Pontificates: Manny Pacquiao…

   On his desire to get back in the ring: “I’m just excited to get back in the ring and train hard for this fight. I’m just ready to give my best. After the Margarito fight I rested and didn’t train in the gym. I focused on my job and that’s why I’m hungry and ready to train hard and focus on the fight. I was hungry, excited and motivated to train because I missed boxing.”

   On why this fight will be better than his last: “This fight is bigger than the Margarito fight because Mosley moves fast and he has good speed and power. That’s what I want. He throws a lot of punches. It will be good for us and it will be a good fight.”

   On why Shane Mosley will make for a good opponent: “I’m excited for this fight because Mosley can throw a lot of punches and he wants to fight toe-to-toe. Mosley, he’s former pound-for-pound champion and he’s a good fighter and a comeback fighter also.”

   On getting a knockout: “We’re not focused for the knockout. All we do is work hard and if the knockout comes, it comes. We’ve prepared ourselves for fighting 12 rounds.

Grading the Undercard:

   A crucial question that a fight fan must ask before shelling out the $55 bucks to purchase a pay-per-view event is “Who else is fighting?” The undercard for tomorrow night’s event took a major hit with the cancellation of the rematch between lightweights Humberto Soto and Urbano Antillion, but fret not fight fans for there should be plenty of action to be seen especially in the stellar matchup between Jr. Featherweights Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and Jorge Arce.

   Jr. Featherweight (122 pounds) 12 rounds- Wilfredo “Papito” Vazquez Jr. (20-0-1, 17 KOs) vs. Jorge “Travieso” Arce (56-6-3, 43 KOs) — This bout should add another exciting chapter in the storied rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico. Vazquez will be making his third defense of the WBO title that he won from Marvin Sonsona last year. In Arce, Vazquez will be facing his most seasoned opponent to date. The main question heading into this fight is: Does Arce, a veteran of 62 fights have anything left in the tank? After countless wars, my answer is no. Arce did look impressive in wiping out his last opponent Adolfo Ramos in the first round, but a closer look would show that Ramos already had 9 loses on his resume prior to stepping into the ring with Arce.The much younger, hungrier Vazquez gives his country a much needed boost by hustling his way to a victory.

   Super Middleweight (168 pounds) 10 rounds- Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs) vs. Alfonso Lopez (21-0, 16 KOs)—the once heralded Pavlik returns to the ring for the first time in over a year. After a stint in rehab (for alcohol related issues), Pavlik is ready to rebound from the loss that he suffered at the hands of Sergio Martinez last April. First up for Pavlik is Mexico’s Lopez. Expect Pavlik to return with a bang against an overmatched opponent.

   Jr. Welterweights (140 pounds) 12 rounds- Mike Alvarado (29-0, 21 KOs) vs. Ray Narh (25-1, 21 KOs) this match is nothing more but a showcase for the undefeated Alvarado. The Chicano fighter has shown flashes of greatness, but troubles with the law have ultimately prevented him from reaching his full potential. Alvarado looked impressive in his last outing where he scored a fourth round stoppage over Dean Harrison last February.

Gran Predicción:

   Pacquiao will be a bit weary of Mosley’s punching power which will make him plan a subdued attack. This attack will allow him to methodically break Mosley down in the opening rounds, which will pave the way for Pacquiao to let loose as the fight goes on. Mosley still has the heart, will and desire to carry him the distance, but I believe that the accumulation of punches that he will receive at the hands of Pacquiao will prompt referee Kenny Bayless to stop the fight somewhere between rounds 10-11, thus making Pacquiao the first fighter to stop ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley.—Steve Galindo III

Fight Fans Weigh-in

   “Manny Pacquiao is clearly the better fighter, but don’t take Mosley lightly. Mosley has a size and reach advantage. He will come out strong and hit Pacquiao with some clean shots since he has a lot of power in his punch. I feel he will win the early rounds, but will eventually start to tire out and wear down. Pacquiao is quicker and has a lot of stamina therefore making it difficult for Mosley to land power punches as the fight goes on. The fight will go the distance and Pac-Man will win by unanimous decision and once again be victorious. Hopefully this victory will play a role in having another Marquez vs. Pacquiao showdown.” – Tony “Morpheus” Aguilar, 40, Chula Vista, CA.

   “In my opinion this fight is a waste of time for Pacquiao because he could have fought a much better fighter than Mosley. The reason is because we saw what Mosley had in the tank when he fought against “Money” Mayweather. I think this fight will end in the middle rounds because Manny is just too fast for Mosley. Pacquiao should fight Mayweather next but with his legal problems that won’t happen anytime soon so I think he should fight Marquez because we all know what type of fights these two fighters will give the public!”- Pancho Aranda, 31, Nogales, AZ

Questions/Comments: Steve Galindo III can be reached @ stevegalindo3@gmail.com