By Gabe Panini
Every boxing fan and sports fan wants to see Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. It’s one of those sporting events that happens once in a long while; two star athletes in their prime going toe to toe for who is the best in their respective sport.
But that fight is just another pipe dream, we would have more luck finding Big Foot then we would having Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao fighting in the ring in 2011.
Boxing fans will take sides, you are either Team Mayweather or Team Pacquiao or you could be the few who are neutral and don’t really pick a side.
I would like to consider myself unbiased with this situation. I am neither Black or Filipino, I am an Italian American. From my take, I believe Floyd Mayweather Jr. isn’t scared necessarily of Manny Pacquiao, but I do believe he sees the Pacman as a threat. Floyd is possibly just waiting for the right time to strike, when he sees majority slippage in Manny’s boxing game.
Floyd is taking the Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvelous Marvin Hagler approach with this fight — wait till he slows down or looks his age than fight him.
I don’t think Pacquiao is on steroids, but I do think he has been given opponents that favor his aggressive style. Guys like Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, and Antonio Margarito who just come forward with no head movement or slickness.
From the looks of it, Manny is going to fight Shane Mosley who is almost 40 years old. Shane Mosley??? Really??? The same Mosley who didn’t throw any punches after rocking Mayweather in the second round? The same Mosley who had a horrible performance in his last fight with Sergio Mora?
I would rather see Manny in with a younger guy like Andre Berto who is very fast with a lot of punching power and is undefeated WBC champion at 147 pounds. I would even like to see Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez have a rubbermatch, Marquez looked amazing against Michael Katsidis.
But Shane Mosley is long in the tooth, he has a punchers chance but the man fights with his chin up and likes to trade blows. Mosley fits the mold of all other Pacquiao opponents, they all say “man this guy is so small I’ll hit him so hard he will never wake up,” but by the end of the fight they either find it’s them who is waking up from being knocked down or with their face covered in blood and bruises.
Mosley will try and overpower Manny and trade with him and pay the price.