Shane Mosley Says The Fight Vs. Pacquiao Will Not Be His Last

By James Slater – 39-year-old future Hall of Famer “Sugar” Shane Mosley has bitten at the talk that says he is a shot, or “washed up” fighter. The former three-weight ruler has said quite a lot of things ahead of his signed May 7th welterweight title clash with Pound-for-Pound king Manny Pacquiao, but his latest claim is one that says the Vegas fight will not be his last.

Mosley, who has not won a fight since January of 2009, has also claimed he will KO Pac-Man, and his latest promise of not hanging up the gloves after May 7th’s dust up is done has been accompanied by another prediction: this one saying the fight with Pacquiao will be a real war..

Speaking with ABS-CBN recently, Mosley said those people who think he is done are wrong and that he will prove he still “has it” when he climbs through the ropes to rumble with the Filipino southpaw in late spring.

“This will not be my last fight,” Mosley said boldly when speaking about his upcoming assignment. “I want to prove to people I still have it. It’s going to be a war because styles make fights. Manny has speed and power, I have speed and power.

“It’s going to be a real test of the mind. With the way we both fight, it will surely end in a knockout.”

Most fight fans seem to agree with Mosley’s last statement, but they feel it will be he who ends up being on the receiving end of the KO. Mosley is talking a great fight, and he will almost certainly give it everything he has come May 7th. But despite his claim that styles make fights, will the speed he has left match the lightning, non-stop speed and power of the man who is almost eight years his junior? Remember how tired Mosley was in even the early going of his May 2010 fight with Floyd Mayweather? If Mosley’s tank hasn’t been topped up in a major way (and judging by his draw with Sergio Mora there is no reason to think it will have been), and if he gets so open-mouthed and fatigued against Pacquiao, he will be in real trouble.

This fight, one that few are really excited about, has the definitive look of a “swan song” type affair for Mosley; a chance for him to go out against one of the very best and to pick up a handsome retirement fund at the same time. But for Mosley, who will turn 40 in September, to speak of having further fights after May 7th? That sounds like an ageing fighter who is unable to face the fact that he is perilously close to the end.

Of course, Mosley HAS shocked, silenced and stunned us before in his career – and maybe he will do so again. If he does, and if the currently 9-1 underdog somehow manages to pull off the upset of the year (decade?) all of us will owe Shane one huge apology. But will Mosley apologise to us if he fails to even be competitive against Pacquiao? Or will he find an excuse for his bad showing and fight at least once more?