Manny Pacquiao: Is Shane Mosley Really Ready for Pacman?

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Manny Pacquiao Set to Fight Shane Mosley on Saturday, But Is "Sugar" Really Ready For Pacman?

As the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley fight inches closer, we begin to hear more and more banter between the two camps. Most recently, Mosley talked to Yahoo! Sports reporter Kevin Iole about the upcoming bout, and told him he's "ready" for Pacquiao.

Per Iole's interview:

"He fights Pacquiao on Saturday for the World Boxing Organization welterweight title in the main event of a pay-per-view card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and will, he says, make believers of those who question his ability to compete at the highest level.
He concedes he’s no longer the physical specimen he was when, as a lightweight, he had some very credible boxing experts proclaiming him among the greatest in the division’s rich history, though he said his hand and foot speed is still very much above average.
He’s a smarter and wiser boxer today, he’ll tell you, than he was a year ago when he was preparing to face Mayweather. The only difference, however, other than another candle on the cake, is that he’s 0-1-1 since then and looking every bit like a one-time star on the downside."

Sugar then goes on to detail the punching statistics from Pacman's bout with Antonio Margarito. He says he's ready to use his own quickness to his advantage, and use his superior ring intelligence to take down the Pacman.

Must Read: Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley: The MGM Grand and the 10 Best Boxing Venues.

While it's true that Mosley's smarts are one of his biggest attributes, and it's true that he's significantly quicker than Antonio Margarito, this interview doesn't exactly inspire much confidence from me in Sugar's ability to beat Pacquiao.

Part of what makes Manny so dangerous is indeed his quickness, but much of it is also the fact that he's in phenomenal shape, at the peak of his powers, able to take plenty of potential abuse.

While Mosley's chin is ironclad, his stamina is not what it once was. He came out like a house on fire against Floyd Mayweather, and faded badly down the stretch. He did it again in each of his last two fights, and frankly, given this interview, it seems as though he doesn't view it as an issue.

Pacman may not have Mosley's experience, but he does have a stellar ring I.Q., one capable of matching up with Sugar. While I do think Mosley has the skills to match Pacman in the early rounds, we've seen him get worn out in each of his last two fights.

Mosley may think he's ready to score the upset and shock the world, but the fact is that unless he's managed to turn back the clock by five years, he can't keep up with Manny. Pacquiao's got too much speed and power for Mosley, and in the end, I think he takes the fight by unanimous decision.

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