LAS VEGAS – Filipino Congressman Manny Pacquiao
will never jump up the boxing scale to heavyweight, but he is beginning to sound as if he might try to make a run at that title in the political ring.
will never jump up the boxing scale to heavyweight, but he is beginning to sound as if he might try to make a run at that title in the political ring.A boxing news conference sounded a little bit like a presidential campaign Wednesday when Pacquiao talked about plans to fight poverty with more evident passion than he did about a welterweight fight Saturday night against Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand.
“All of my life, I’ve had to fight,’’ said Pacquiao, who has eight titles, all in different weight classes. “As a child, I had to fight for food. But the biggest fight of my life is the end of poverty in my country.’’
Pacquiao, still in campaign mode, said he will wear yellow gloves Saturday night and urged a sellout crowd to also wear yellow. For him and his countrymen, it’s the color of unity. Former Filipino President Corazon Aquino wore yellow. It was the color that identified the opposition that chased ex-Filipino strongman Ferdinand Marcos out of office in 1986.
Now, it’s a look at what Pacquiao might be planning for a whirlwind of a life that is always moving forward and at a furious, fearless pace with more angles than punches. On Wednesday, he even sang the title of his recent release, Sometimes When We Touch, at Dan Hill, who is other half of the duet in the recorded melody. There were no babies to kiss. But give him time. Someday, there may even be some broken campaign promises.
Thus far, there have been none, although Mosley hopes to change that with an upset that would send The Philippines into dark mourning. On the betting board up and down the Strip, that doesn’t look likely.
Late Thursday, Mosley was about a 6 1/2-to-1 underdog. If this were politics, Mosley would be Donald Trump. Comedian Seth Meyers said he was surprised to hear that Trump might runs for President as a Republican. Meyers thought Trump was running as joke. Despite odds that are hard to figure, however, this isn’t politics. Mosley is no joke, not even at late comedian Jack Benny’s forever age, 39
“We’re not talking about an ordinary guy,’’ Mosley trainer Naazim Richardson said in the wise voice that is always accented with common sense.
Richardson argues that Pacquiao hasn’t been hit with the mix of power and experience possessed by Mosley, whose 32-0 record, including 30 knockouts, at 135 pounds makes him one of the great lightweights of all time.
“Put a Shetland Pony in there and when Shane hits it, he’s going to wobble it,’’ Richardson said.
The secret to Pacquiao are the thick legs of a bigger man, if not a Shetland Pony. But that’s another story for another day. What is increasingly evident is some newfound focus in Pacquiao on the immediate challenge. He will always multi-task, as he did Wednesday at the news conference/political campaign that included Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and his wife, Carolyn, who is running for the office her husband is about to vacate.
Unlike some of his recent training camps, this one is not about how or if a distracted Pacquiao might lose. Last November, there were more stories about Pacquiao’s distractions than there were about Antonio Margarito. Pacquiao left Margarito battered and badly injured in taking a one-sided-decision.
The reported distractions never mattered and perhaps Pacquiao knew that they wouldn’t. Margarito just wasn’t fast enough to be a threat. If Pacquiao’s reported attention to training over the last two months is any indication, Mosley is.
“From Day One, he told me this is not an easy fight,’’ said Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach, who already has said he wants the Filipino idol to be the first to knock out Mosley. “I think this is the best training camp we’ve ever had. Manny is in the best shape he’s ever been in. He has to be. He’s fighting an experienced, crafty guy.’’
Pacquiao said he is as concerned about Mosley as he was about Oscar De La Hoya in 2008.De La Hoya quit after eight rounds against Pacquiao, who exhausted him with relentless energy and a nonstop barrage of punches. De La Hoya never had a chance. Pacquiao’s newfound dedication might mean Mosley won’t have one either. Then again, Mosley beat De La Hoya twice. Unlike Pacquiao, Mosley stopped Margarito.
“Mosley knocked him out …he has that advantage,’’ said Pacquiao, who is smart enough to know that timing dictates that Saturday night’s fight is next and dangerous enough to may be the biggest one he’ll face before he tries to knock out poverty.
Source: 15rounds.com
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