Shane Mosley: Breaking Down Manny Pacquiao's Next Opponent

Manny Pacquiao has announced that his next title defense will be for the welterweight title and will be against boxing legend Sugar Shane Mosley.

The fight will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 7, 2011 at the MGM Grand.

It is not the fight that boxing fans wanted, but it's what they got.

Here is a breakdown of Sugar Shane Mosley.

James Evens is a Purdue student and Basketball/Football Featured Columnist for the Boilermakers, along with being a Writing Intern at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter or like him on Facebook.

Tale of the Tape

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LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Sergio Mora takes a punch from Shane Mosley during the 10th round of the Middleweight bout at Staples Center on September 18, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The fight ended in a draw. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Mosley is 5'9" and is currently fighting at the welterweight level, as he has been most of his career. He has a reach of 74 inches.

Compare this to Pacman, who stands 5'6" and has a reach that is 64 inches. This is nothing new for Pacman, though, as he is used to fighting guys that are taller than him.

Record

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LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: (Left) Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora fight to a draw during the sixth round of the Middleweight bout at Staples Center on September 18, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Mosley has a record of 46-6-1. His six losses came toward the latter part of his career, as he started his career with a professional record of 38-0, mainly in the lightweight division.

He is still a very powerful fighter and has the ability to knock opponents out.

Last Fight

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LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Referee Pat Russell poses with Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora after the Middleweight bout at Staples Center on September 18, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The fight ended in a draw. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

His last fight was the only draw of his career. He went 12 rounds with Sergio Mora, which ended in a draw. Many fight fans were disappointed with this fight, as they expected Mosley to bounce back after losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

He started to show his age, which is not good for him leading up to Pacquiao.

Knockout Artist

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LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Sergio Mora punches Shane Mosley during the eighth round in a Middleweight bout at Staples Center on September 18, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The fight ended in a draw. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

All but seven of Mosley's victories have come by knockout or TKO. He is a very tough fighter who can pack a serious punch if given the opportunity to connect.

His last knockout came against Antonio Margarito, who Pacquiao actually failed to knock out but could have if he wanted to.

Fight with Miguel Cotto

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NEW YORK - JUNE 05: Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico looks on during the WBA world super welterweight title fight against Yuri Foreman (not pictured) on June 5, 2010 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Cotto wins by TKO in the ninth round

Mosley fought closely against Cotto but lost via decision. It was a great fight, and Mosley showed a lot of guts but ended up losing in the end.

His competitor in this fight, Manny Pacquiao, also faced Cotto but defeated him by TKO in the 12th round of the fight.

Comparing these two fights, you would say Manny has an advantage.

Does He Have a Shot?

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ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 13: Manny Pacquiao (white trunks) of the Philippines fights against Antonio Margarito (black trunks) of Mexico during their WBC World Super Welterweight Title bout at Cowboys Stadium on November 13, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Ph

I am one of the minority that thinks Mosley could have a shot at this. Sure, he is in the later stages of his career, but this could be his one last stand to prove that he is still a great fighter.

Pacquiao is very cocky and knows he is good. Even though he came out and said some nice things about Mosley, everyone knows he thinks the world of himself. It might be great for boxing if Mosley beats Pacman.