Pacquiao Versus Mosley: Let The Mind Games Begin

1:07 AM // 0 comments // Ian Purugganan // Category: Mosley , Pacquiao //

NOW that he’s been formally anointed as the next man to challenge Manny Pacquiao, Sugar Shane Mosley asserted he’s going to make the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter realize his mistake of picking him in a short list of possible contenders.

On Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), Top Rank promoter Bob Arum announced a fight between Pacquiao and Mosley has been sealed following a meeting with him and James Prince, the representative of the former three-time world champion, in Arum’s office in Las Vegas.

The fight will be for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt penciled for May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

While Arum insists Mosley clinched the deal over two others in long-time Pacquiao nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez and reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight king Andre Berto since a fight with him is the ‘most sellable’, the 39-year-old native of Pomona, California thinks otherwise.

“I know that they think I’m an old man and that Manny is going to beat me. Let them think that,” said Mosley moments after the announcement of the fight.

Added the former world champion, who won titles as a lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight, “I still have power and speed. So they can think whatever they want. I know what I can do.”

That such impression had been imprinted on Mosley of late is understandable.

Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a lopsided 12-round decision last April, and then settled for a draw against ‘The Contender’ star Sergio Mora in a junior middleweight showdown five months later.

Mosley had his own reasons for his two sub-par performances, claiming he was able to hurt Mayweather despite the one-sided bout, and that Mora didn’t beat him at all, contending his opponent run away from him all night.

The same won’t be happening in Pacquiao’s case.

“Come on, man. I’m a bigger guy than him and he gets hit. And you saw how I hurt Floyd. Manny is going to come forward and I will hit him on the chin at some point. His defense is not like Floyd’s. Manny will come at me and I will knock him out,” said Mosley in an ESPN interview.

Mosley winning the Pacquiao sweepstakes also signaled the end of his partnership with Golden Boy Promotions, the rival group of Top Rank, with which the American boxer reportedly owns a stake of four percent.

The lure of big prize money just by fighting Pacquiao definitely has something to do with that.

Mosley is assured of a $5 million guaranteed prize for the May 7 fight and a $5 share per pay-per-view buy above 500,000, meaning a 1.2 million sales in per-per-view translates to a total of $8.5 million take for the only man to beat the great Oscar De La Hoya twice.

His biggest career earning was $7 million in his loss against Mayweather Jr.

Arum believes hitting the 1 million mark in pay-per-view is doable.

“I though Mosley was the best draw of the three and it would do the best business,” said the Top Rank Promotions chief.

The 79-year-old promoter also said the fight doing well in pay-per-view sales would give Pacquiao his biggest paycheck to date as he is likely to receive between $12-$15 million in guaranteed purse.

Of course, it won’t be an easy one, that Arum assures.

“Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trample says it’s a very difficult fight. I believe it will be an exciting fight,” said Arum. “Shane knows how to fight and how to deal with the speed. Manny is in for a hellacious fight. I really believe styles make fights.”