by Andrew Hall: The question I posed for this article sounds ludicrous because the answer is a resounding yes. There is no doubt that he has a chance. All the fighters before him have had a chance too. So, the question really is if Mosley has what it takes to defeat The Filipino Fury. What does he need to do in order to pull off the upset?
Shane Mosley has one big thing going for him. That one big thing is the great equalizer. When Rocky Marciano fought they called it his Suzie Q. Shane Mosley has a tremendous right hand lead and that cannot be overlooked in this fight. If he can land it, he may be able to knock out the Filipino Fury.
How likely is Shane Mosley to land this punch? Manny Pacquio usually stands in front of his opponents so Mosley will have ample time to uncork his lethal right cross. Manny Pacquiao has been k.o’d before and it could easily happen again. Remember guys, all it takes is one.
Manny Pacquiao was knocked out twice early on in his career. Now, when I say he was knocked out, I don’t mean he was TKO’d. He was KNOCKED OUT. If Smokey had been there he would have uttered his famous words while standing over the fallen fighter “You got knocked the beep out”. Both of these knockout reveal that Pacquiao has a chin that can be dented. The question is how.
I think what Mosley needs to do is twofold. Number one is that he doesn’t want to get into a brawl with this guy. He wants to keep the fight pace moderate so that he doesn’t tire as the rounds go by. I think his best bet for this is to use his legs. He needs to circle Pacquiao and frustrate him. When he has him frustrated he needs to alternate using his jab and throwing a straight right hand. Also, he needs to mix up his attack by bullying Pacquiao on the inside and throwing some hard uppercuts. Pacman has proven vulnerable to close range uppercuts. He needs to tie Manny up on the inside if the Filipino Fury gets too crazy.
The second thing he needs to do is to save his energy for the late rounds. Early on his punches need to be thrown with the intent of out boxing his man. Around the 8th round he needs to sit down and really set down on his punches. I want Mosley to avoid getting hurt early by utilizing his quickness and speed and staying away from heavy exchanges. He needs to frustrate his opponent and make him desperate. Then, when the 8th round comes, he needs to utilize what he has learned. He needs to look for the shot to end the day. He needs to look to hurt him man at this time. Really push down on the canvas with his heels. He needs to torque his hips for maximum power. He needs to get great extension on his shot and really let this guy have it. If he can do that, he can win this fight.
Now, can he pull it off? He is quite old. The Shane Mosley of 10 years ago would have defeated this man with relative ease but now things are different. I give Manny a 75% chance of winning this fight. Unless Shane can really come in at his very best (or at the least where he was when he defeated Margarito) he has no chance of winning. Good luck to you Shane!