Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley: 10 Things We're Most Looking Forward To
The May 7 main event, featuring pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao versus Shane Mosley, should give boxing fans answers to the following questions and others that remain with the 10 competitors on the main card:
Will Pacquiao's political career finally catch up to him? It's a question that has been asked ever since the eight-division world champion was elected to the House of Representatives in the Philippines in May 2010.
What does Mosley still have left to offer at 39 years old? The former champion of three divisions hasn't looked good since defeating Antonio Margarito in 2009.
Can Kelly Pavlik make a solid return against an undefeated opponent?
These questions and more should be answered, but there are still other reasons to watch the event.
10. Possible Nonito Donaire Opponent May Be Selected
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In an undercard bout, former WBO world flyweight champion Jorge Arce (56-6) will be taking on the undefeated Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (20-0-1). This super bantamweight bout will be something boxing fans don't want to miss.
Arce may be well past his prime, but he can still put on entertaining fights. His opponent is the son of boxing legend Wilfredo Vasquez Sr.
Vazquez went 3-0 in 2010, defeating Ivan Hernandez, Zsolt Bedak and Marvin Sonsona, all by knockout.
The winner of this fight may be next in line to fight WBC and WBO bantamweight champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire.
9. Will Freddy Roach's Prediction Come True?
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In an interview with Ring.TV's Michael Rosenthal, Freddie Roach predicted Pacquiao would win the fight by knockout.
“I’d say he’ll stop him in six, seven rounds," said Roach. “That’s the prize, to be the first to stop him, to show the world how much better we are than anyone else. That’s our goal."
Roach has made predictions in Pacquiao's last couple fights and he has been right most of the time. He has such confidence in his fighter that he predicts him to be the first to stop Mosley. That's a bold risk but one worth taking.
8. A Rematch of 2010 Candidate for "Fight of the Year"
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If Humberto Soto (54-7-2) isn't going to step up his competition and take on opponents like Juan Manuel Marquez, at least he is willing to give us good fights.
The WBC lightweight champion's opponent is Urbano Antillon, a fighter he defeated in December 2010. It was a back-and-forth brawl and a candidate for "Fight of the Year."
The rematch promises to be as good as the last, even if the outcome is predictable.
Hopefully, a win for Soto sets him up to face the winner of Roberto Guerrero versus Michael Katsidis, or a future fight with top five pound-for-pound fighter Juan Manuel Marquez.
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7. How Will Showtime Handle the Event?
4 of 10It was a surprise to most when the fight between Pacquiao and Mosley was announced to be on Showtime PPV and not HBO.
Pacquiao and Mosley both made careers fighting on the biggest and best boxing network but they have made the move to Showtime, a network that features the Super Six super middleweight and bantamweight tournaments.
With new commentators, a new venue and the Fight Camp 360 promotion, PPV buys and production should be considerably higher and better than most expect.
6. Pacquiao to Call out Mayweather...Again
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Freddie Roach usually does the talking about Floyd Mayweather, Jr. after Pacquiao's victories. But Pacquiao wants the fight badly, and everyone knows it.
It will take more than a mention of the pound-for-pound star's name to get a fight, but calling him out lets fans know Pacquiao will do whatever it takes to secure the biggest fight in boxing history.
Wouldn't it be awesome if Mayweather were there, came into the ring after the fight and accepted the challenge right there? It'd too good to be true, but it's one extra factor worth considering.
5. Humberto Soto to Call out Robert Guerrero If He Wins
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With Robert Guerrero's recent victory over Michael Katsidis, lightweight champions Juan Manuel Marquez and Humberto Soto have a new challenger who presents intriguing obstacles.
Guerrero looked as impressive as fans have ever seen him in his bout with Katsidis, which he won by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. He is at the top of the division and he has yet to take on one of the bigger names in the division.
Hopefully Soto wins and fans get a lightweight title fight worth looking forward to.
4. Can Kelly Pavlik Make a Successful Return After Rehab?
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Prior to the Manny Pacquiao versus Shane Mosley main event, Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik (36-2) will make his return to the ring to face the undefeated Alfonso Lopez (21-0) in a super-middleweight bout.
After pulling out of a fight with Brian Vera in November, Pavlik entered the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California to mend an alcohol problem that nagged him throughout his career. He left rehab in January.
His scheduled opponent, Lopez, has 16 knockouts in his professional career and went 11-0 over the last two years. Still untested, Lopez will be coming into the May 7 bout looking to take out one of the bigger names in the sport, even if Pavlik's recent performances haven't necessarily supported such a claim.
If Pavlik is victorious, future bouts with super middleweight stars will be offered, including potential opponents Carl Froch, Andre Ward and Arthur Abraham.
3. A Possible Upset in the Main Event
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Pacquiao hasn't lost since Erik Morales defeated him in their first fight in 2005. His other two losses came when he was competing at 112 pounds—both knockouts.
Barely anyone is questioning whether Mosley can beat him; most are questioning whether he can actually compete with the first fighter to win the lineal championship in four weight divisions through 12 rounds.
Almost everyone anticipates a close first couple of rounds before Pacquiao takes over and wins by decision. The consensus pick is Pacquiao by a wide unanimous decision.
If Mosley defeats the eight-division world champion, it will be by far the biggest moment of his career.
2. Will Shane Mosley Retire If He Loses? If He Wins?
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This isn't a positive thing to look forward to, but it will be a moment worth seeing if the future Hall of Famer retires after defeat.
Mosley is 0-1-1 in his last two fights. He had a draw with Sergio Mora and lost a unanimous decision to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in 2010.
The 39-year-old has accomplished everything possible in the sport. There is one thing left for him to do right now. Nothing is bigger than this. If he doesn't win, it may be best to call it quits.
It would be an amazing moment if he does win and calls it quits.
1. Can Pacquiao Stop an Opponent Who Has Never Been Finished?
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Pacquiao has knocked out 38 of 57 opponents, which translates to 67 percent.
He has stopped the likes of Erik Morales (twice), Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera, Miguel Cotto and David Diaz. Wins such as these won him Ring Magazine's "Fighter of the Year" award for 2006, 2008 and 2009.
Mosley, even with six defeats, has never been finished and he is rarely in trouble during fights. The only time he was in serious trouble was in the first bout against Vernon Forrest, when he was dropped twice in the final round.
With Pacquiao's accelerated fighting spirit and Mosley's desire to be great once again, this fight is capable of producing a knockout.
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