By James Slater – Freddie Roach, trainer of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, insists those people who see a fight between Pac-Man and likely next foe “Sugar” Shane Mosley as easy are “crazy.” Speaking with The Philippine Daily Enquirer, Roach said Mosley has the speed and the experience needed to give his 32-year-old fighter a tough night’s work.
Roach certainly feels Mosley is a far better boxer than Pac-Man’s last opponent, Antonio Margarito..
“Manny has speed but so has Mosley,” Freddie said. “He’ll give us a little trouble because he is also experienced. He is a different type of fighter compared with Margarito. He is a much better boxer. Mosley will box him and come to him much more intelligently.”
Roach has also gone on record as saying he will insist on a drug test if the fight with Mosley goes ahead (and most people seem to think Mosley will indeed land the May 7th date).
“If the fight pushes through, I will insist on a drugs test,” Roach is quoted as saying by The Philippine Star. “He’s [Mosley] been known to take steroids and it shows in his body.”
Of course, Mosley’s last-but-one opponent, Floyd Mayweather Junior, insisted that Shane took a pre-fight drugs test. Mosley agreed and passed all tests. And in wanting the fight with Pacquiao as much as he does, there is no reason to think Mosley will refuse any test demands this time around. Unless Pac-Man makes a most surprising announcement soon, it really does look like it will be the 39-year-old three-weight champ who squares off with Pacquiao next.
What type of fight it will be we can only assume, but Roach says he will take no chances in the gym, that he will make sure Pacquiao is fully ready, with no shortcuts taken in preparation. Interestingly, and still on the subject of Mosley’s losing fight with Mayweather back in May – Roach says he feels Mosley could have KO’d “Money” in that big 2nd-round, had he not “frozen.”
“Mosley could’ve taken out Mayweather but he froze,” Roach said. “I don’t know why he let him go. Maybe it was a result of him having taken drugs in the past. That kind of thing does something to your brain.”
Did Mosley really blow the biggest win of his career in May, the KO his for the taking? Mosley did land a great shot in that 2nd-round (two in fact), but the real reason Mayweather never went down was because he has a great chin, surely. On this one I think Freddie is wrong. Mosley ran out of gas and Floyd recovered; simple as that.
Anyway, what will happen if Mosley lands a similar right hand to the jaw of Pac-Man in May? If the fight happens like it looks like it will, we might get to find out!