Shane Mosley feels a victory over WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao on Saturday would be his biggest ever, despite a glittering career that includes world titles in three weight classes.
“That would be the best victory at this time,” Mosley told reporters on Tuesday at the MGM Grand, the site of Saturday’s fight. “If I fight Pacquiao and beat him, there will probably have to be another one, because people won’t believe it.”
Mosley has yet to be knocked out during his professional career, but his comment was a clear admission that despite a record of 46-6-1 with 39 knockouts, including two victories over compatriot Oscar de la Hoya, he will be a heavy underdog against the Filipino Pacquiao.
That reflects the fact that the 39-year-old Mosley’s record is a pedestrian 8-6-1 since the end of 2001 and his last fight in Las Vegas was a comprehensive points defeat at the hands of fellow American Floyd Mayweather Jr one year ago.
In that fight, Mosley rocked Mayweather badly in the second round, but could not capitalize and lost every round after. However, he insisted the difference in styles between the two makes the Mayweather fight meaningless when evaluating Saturday’s fight.
“Mayweather doesn’t throw a lot of punches, but he throws them at the right time,” he said. “Manny throws more punches and he throws them at any time. That style, I believe is going to be more suitable to me.”
Pacquiao, 52-3-2 with 38 knockouts, who has won world titles in eight weight divisions, agreed that dismissing Mosley’s chances was a mistake.
“It’s unfair to him,” Pacquiao said on Tuesday, adding that Mosley has “good hand speed, good foot speed and of course he’s strong. You cannot underestimate Mosley.”
Mosley pointed to his upset victories over de la Hoya in 2000 and 2003, and his dominant knockout of Mexico’s Antonio Margarito in 2009, as evidence that he has frequently put on his best performances in the face of doubt.
“A lot of the times people count me out, I tend to become victorious,” he said. “So maybe it’s not a good idea to count me out.”
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