Boxing experts predict Pacquiao win

BY Josef Ramos

“Pacquiao who’s expected to rely on his blistering speed and footwork to neutralize attacks… Pacquiao will see them [punches] coming, slide to his right, duck under them and unleash his left,” he said. “It’ll be close and exciting for a few rounds until Pacquiao takes over, pounding Mosley down the stretch en route to a unanimous decision.”

Boxing experts favored Manny Pacquiao to win over Shane Mosley on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas but have differing opinions on how the Filipino ring icon would dominate the aging American boxer.

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) columnist Joe Tessitore and ESPN, Reuters and HBO boxing writer Kieran Mulvaney predicted that Pacquiao would win by late technical knockout or via unanimous decision.

“Pacquiao is faster than this older edition of Shane Mosley. He’s viper-like with his quick-striking left cross and right hook,” wrote Tessitore on the official website of ESPN.

Even though he is convinced that the 39-year-old Mosley (46-6-1 win-loss-draw card with 39 knockouts) could hurt Pacquiao (52-3-2 with 38 KOs) with uppercuts and body shots, Tessitore explained these are not enough to chop down the pound-for-pound king.

“In the end, I see very few scenarios that include Mosley pulling off the upset, so it would be Pacquiao by late TKO,” he said.

Mulvaney, for his part, said Mosley’s punching power and longer reach would not suffice to destroy Pacquiao who’s expected to rely on his blistering speed and footwork to neutralize attacks.
“Pacquiao will see them [punches] coming, slide to his right, duck under them and unleash his left,” he said. “It’ll be close and exciting for a few rounds until Pacquiao takes over, pounding Mosley down the stretch en route to a unanimous decision.”

Dan Rafael, another ESPN writer said the fight would definitely be exciting since both fighters are very aggressive and are expected to collide head-on.

“Mosley is a proud fighter who still possesses heart, a great chin and good power. In his one moment of note against Floyd Mayweather Jr., he almost knocked him out in the second round,” said Rafael.

Rafael though admitted that Mosley is now slower and his punches no longer possessed the same authority as they used to be.