Mosley: Underdog status not a factor
Shane Mosley shadow-boxes during a workout in front of the media at his high-altitude training facility in Big Bear Lake, Calif. Mosley is scheduled to face Manny Pacquiao on May 7 in Las Vegas. (April 12, 2011) Credit: AP
When Shane Mosley agreed to fight Antonio Margarito on January 30, 2009, it was thought by many to be a fool’s errand. After all, Margarito toyed with Miguel Cotto. Mosley struggled against Cotto in a one-sided loss two years earlier.
But after Margarito was caught trying to lace his gloves with an illegal substance in the minutes before the bout, both fighters entered the ring on equal footing and Mosley shocked the world with a ninth-round stoppage.
Could we be in store for the same thing when Mosley takes on the seemingly invincible Manny Pacquiao on their May 7 Showtime pay-per-view fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas?
The opinions that were formed before Mosley's fight with Margarito have surfaced again. Mosely's too old, Pacquiao's too quick, etc... Mosley is coming off a disappointing draw against Sergio Mora and a lopsided loss to Floyd Mayweather, so naturally many boxing fans will betting against him.
Not so fast. Fans shouldn’t expect to see the same Mosley.
“I don’t think [the previous fights] will have anything to do with what I do against Pacquiao because styles make fights,” Mosley said. “But if it wasn’t for those two fights I probably wouldn’t be here today. So those fights were needed.”
Mosley, a future hall of famer, has become the underdog in recent years. Being lightly regarded has served Mosley well at times and could be what helps him against Pacquiao.
“It gives me a lot of motivation to overcome,” Mosley said of being the underdog. “I don’t read too much into it. I don’t care that people are saying I’m an underdog or not. What matters most is what happens in the ring. It only matters what happens on May 7.”
The following video was shot in Big Bear, CA, where Shane and his training camp speak Pacquiao fight. Shane discussing his training process and what it’s going to take to beat one of the fastest boxers in the world.
