Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley: What We Learned from Showtime Fight Camp 360
The May 7th main PPV event, featuring pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and former champion, Shane Mosley, is being promoted by the very popular Fight Camp 360 series on Showtime.
It gives fans an inside look at the lives and training camps to the two featured fighters and gives us a first glimpse of the preparations they are going through before they finally meet inside the ring.
With two episodes down, there is already a good amount of lessons being learned and reiterated throughout the show.
What approach are the fighters taking to the upcoming bout? How much are they guaranteed to make? How are their relationships with their trainers going?
All of these questions and more are being answered in each episode.
Mosley Gets the Fight After Three Visits to Roach
1 of 6It took three attempts by Shane Mosley to get the fight with Pacquiao. On the third meeting with Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, Mosley got the fight.
There are many fighters attempting to get a mega-fight with the pound-for-pound best boxer, but why Mosley and not Marquez or Mayweather Jr.?
Only the best and most motivated fighters will beg and beg and beg for a shot at Pacquiao, and Mosley proved he is as motivated as ever in asking for Pacquiao.
Mosley is looking to prove he has something nobody really thinks he has left, and the only way to prove this is by fighting and beating the best. The first part is complete, now comes the hard part.
Nobody Can Replace Trainers Freddie Roach and Nazim Richardson
2 of 6Multiple winner of trainer of the year, Freddie Roach, is someone who can't be replaced. The amount of mutual respect inside and outside of the ring is unmatched between him and Pacquiao.
With Pacquiao's hectic lifestyle, which goes from 18-20 hour works days, Roach needs to have a lot of respect for his fighter's need and wants.
Mosley's trainer, Nazim Richardson, has worked with him in his biggest bouts versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. last May.
He also has the experience working with him in one of the biggest upsets of the decade versus Antonio Margarito, who Mosley knocked out in the ninth round.
Can he do the same again in this fight? Both trainers can be accredited to how this fight plays out, and both boxers know this. That's why we see such adulation given by fans, promoters and the fighters to the two great trainers.
No Bad Blood Between Two Great Champions
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It's always nice to see two great competitors have mutual respect between each other in such a high-profile bout where status and careers may be on the line.
We don't see this often, and some of the biggest fights of the year will feature two opponents who dislike each other (Klitschko vs. Haye, Dawson vs. Hopkins).
For Mosley and Pacquiao to have mutual respect, it shows their personalities to the fans and to each other.
They want to put on a good fight, and it doesn't matter how much they like or dislike each other. That isn't what drives them. They are there to do one thing only, and that's put on a show to show what makes the fans appreciate this great sport.
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Show Me the Manny! Pacquiao Guaranteed 20 Million, Mosley Guaranteed 5 Million.
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Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, stated in the second episode what both fighters were guaranteed for their May 7th bout.
Pacquiao is guaranteed 20 million while Mosley is guaranteed a fraction of that at five million.
Compare that to Pacquiao's guaranteed checks of 20 million against Margarito, 13 million versus Miguel Cotto and 12 million against Ricky Hatton, and you know how big of a star he has become.
Mosley got nearly seven million for his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and one million for his fight with Sergio Mora. It's nice to see him making a good amount in what may be his final bout.
Third Time's a Charm: Will Mosley Win After Being the Underdog for the Third Time?
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"Underdog" is a popular tag that is put on the former WBA super welterweight champion, Mosley.
In his bouts with Antonio Margarito and Floyd Mayweather Jr., nobody gave Mosley a chance to beat two of the best fighters out there.
In the Margarito fight, Mosley was reported to have been a 4-1 underdog. He was also a 4-1 underdog going into the Mayweather fight.
Double that for the Pacquiao fight, as Mosley is a 9-1 underdog!
Mosley is twice as underrated and twice as motivated to prove people wrong. It's a long shot, but victories are not guaranteed in a sport as unpredictable as boxing.
Mosley Will Be the One Looking for the Knockout, Not Pacquiao
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It may be the biggest mistake Mosley could make, but he did it in the Mayweather fight, and it seems he's going to do it again here.
Mosley isn't going to be looking for a decision May 7th. He is going to look for the knockout. Whether or not this plays in his favor is something that makes his approach interesting and exciting, but does he have a back-up plan if it doesn't work?
Pacquiao showed in his bouts versus Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito that he can ease up late in the bout to let his opponents go the distance, at least with Margarito. He earned a late TKO in his fight with Cotto but probably could have gotten it much earlier.
Maybe Mosley's KO approach will bring out a beast in Pacquiao, but there is one thing for sure, it will definitely bring out the best.
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