Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley: Whose Win Would Benefit Boxing More?

With Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2) being the top figure in boxing, some questions regarding the future of the sport after Manny Pacquiao is retired arise. Pacquiao has achieved a very fascinating and rare goal in his so far extraordinary boxing career: He reached a point where he is the ultimate "measuring cup" for all fighters and contenders.

Recently, I have caught a glimpse of Mike Tyson being compared to Pacquiao on a popular boxing forum. I have read through numerous “comparison” discussions on various forums and have noticed that when any boxer is being compared with Pacquiao, most of the time, the question is formed in the following fashion: Is fighter X as good as Pacquiao? Could fighter X beat Pacquiao?

The names that came up were those of legendary champions: Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Joe Walcott, Roberto Duran, etc. Essentially, Manny Pacquiao is already being grouped as one of the legends and is being favored in a hypothetical fight against them.     

On May 7, 2011, Pacquiao will step inside the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV to defend his title against an already recognized Hall of Fame name, Shane Mosley (46-6-1). Most fans, as well as boxing journalists and analysts, have already written Mosley off, suggesting this will be an easy fight for the Filipino champion. I find that hard to believe after looking at Mosley’s performance against Antonio Margarito, although the Sergio Mora fight showed a different, less energetic Mosley. Only Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach thinks that this will not be a walk in the park for his pupil.

This piece is not about who will or should win, but instead, whose win would be more beneficial to the sport of boxing.

Manny Pacquiao has elevated his career to a point where he is simply expected to win. Some of his fans lose sight of opposition and circumstance and start celebrating before the fight is over. That kind of boxing, where expectations are so high that it takes all the excitement out of the fight, is damaging to the sport itself. Where are all those adrenaline inducing fights where the odds are even and both fighters are in their biological prime?

If Manny Pacquiao wins this fight, we are not back to the same old, because we would have never left it. If he wins as expected, talks about Floyd Mayweather Jr. escalate again, and another over the hill opponent is signed to fight Pacquiao. Even Pacquiao vs. Marquez III is no longer as exciting as it would have been earlier. Pacquiao’s win over Mosley, be it by a U.D. or a K.O., leaves boxing fans in a state of uncertainty yet again.

But what if Shane Mosley pulls this one off and beats Pacquiao on May 7? What if Mosley’s power overwhelms "Pacman" and sends him to the canvas? This scenario is not impossible or unlikely; instead, I find it fairly plausible. In a scenario as such, the whole boxing world would turn upside down, and that rush feeling, that adrenaline from anticipation, would kick back in, creating a possibility for a whole new level of drama and propositions.

Mayweather’s name would instantly pop up in wide spectrum of discussions, Mosley would likely push for a rematch with Mayweather Jr., and Pacquiao would pressure Bob Arum to fix this by getting him another fight with Mosley. A lot of things would happen if Mosley won, that I feel the boxing world would benefit from.

If some people out there thought that Pacquiao gets a free ride from the media, that would instantly change, as boxing journalists would tear this thing into pieces, demoting the Filipino hope to a new low for Pacquiao.

So, whose win do you think will benefit the boxing community more?