By Madra Uladh: Last night, the pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO’s) scored a virtual shutout against the third or fourth best welterweight in the sport 39-year-old Shane Mosley (45-7-1, 39 KO’s). And yet, Pacquiao looked less than stellar, at least in comparison to his recent destructive beat-downs.
I’m left wondering as to the reasons.
Possibilities:
He gave Shane’s power a great deal of respect, maybe more than was warranted. If Shane were to pull this off, most predicted it would be by way of a crippling shot in the early rounds. Was Pacquiao overly cautious regarding this possibility?
In the post fight interview, Pacquiao alluded to leg cramp problems in the Juan Manuel Marquez fights, problems that had been solved, but returned last night. Pacquiao’s movement, especially lateral, was certainly not what we’ve come to expect. He did not strike from multiple angles as in his recent outings.
Could age be the problem here? While Pacquiao is only 32, he’s had some serious wars that may have taken their toll, and maybe Father Time is gaining on the phenom. He showed some other signs in the timing and stamina departments, that he might have slipped just a tad.
Or was it just an off night? Most boxers have one every once in a while. Pacquiao has many other distractions on his plate and his mind may not have been 100 % on the task at hand.
I’ll toss out another possibility that’s admittedly far-fetched. Could he have turned down the heat just a smidgen to lure Floyd out of his nervousness? There can be little doubt that while Floyd has the tools to be the favorite in a Pacquiao match-up, he has definite concerns about facing the Filipino. After last night, I think he may well re-examine his decision to duck Manny.
Whatever the reasons for Pac’s disappointing performance, they should become a little clearer after his next fight.