Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao Will Knock Out Shane Mosley

Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao Will Knock Out Shane Mosley

By Lem Satterfield

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Eight-division king

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will be the first man to score a knockout against three-division, five-time titlist,

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, when the Filipino super star defends his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt against Mosley on May 7, in a Showtime pay per view televised clash from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, according to Pacquiao's trainer,

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.

Pacquiao is coming off of November's unanimous decision over

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(38-7, 27 knockouts) that earned him the WBC's vacant junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt, which he has since vacated. Mosley stopped Margarito in the ninth round in January of 2009.

"Shane is a tough guy. He has a good chin and he's dangerous," said Roach, a five-time Trainer of the Year.

"He is faster than [Antonio] Margarito, and he's a much better boxer," said Roach. "But I don't think he's going to last the distance. I think my guy will knock him out."

Last month, however, HBO's

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told FanHouse that he believed that the 32-year-old Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) "could lose" to the 39-year-old Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs), against whom he will be pursuing his 14th straight victory and his ninth stoppage during that run.

Merchant called Mosley, "a dangerous guy," owing to the fac that, other than present WBA junior middleweight king

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(35-2, 28 KOs) and six-time titlist

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(41-0, 25 KOs), who decisioned Mosley, respectively, for the WBA welterweight crown in November of 2007, and, in a May of 2010 non-title bout, Mosley's only troubles have come against taller boxers with good defensive skills.

Mosley was unbeaten before twice losing his WBC welterweight belt to the late, 6-foot tall,

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(41-3, 29 KOs) in January and July of 2002, and, also suffered back-to-back decision losses in March and November of 2004 to the nearly 5-11 southpaw

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(51-5-1, 25 KOs) when Mosley was dethroned as WBA and WBC junior middleweight champ.

In September, Mosley battled to a junior middleweight draw with 6-foot, ex-champion

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(21-2-2, six KOs), a man who has split bouts with Forrest, who floored Mosley for the only time in the latter's career in their initial fight.

Prior to facing Mora, against whom many observers felt that Mosley looked old, he staggered Mayweather and appeared to be on the verge of a knockout during their battle in May, only to lose a lopsided decision.

"If Mosley can get in shape to fight for 12 rounds, I'm saying that Shane Mosley could beat Manny Pacquiao. But I'm not saying that he will. But Shane Mosley has fought everybody out there for decades and has been knocked down in only one fight -- the first one against Vernon Forrest," said Merchant.

"So Mosley always has had a great chin," said Merchant, who believes Mosley to be a harder puncher than the defense-oriented former belt-holder,

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, a man Pacquiao decisioned in March of 2010.

"A Mosley at 75 percent has way more offensive skills than somebody like Antonio Margarito or the previous guy Pacquiao fought, Joshua Clottey," said Merchant "That, to me, means that he's a dangerous guy. I mean, he's an underdog, and he should be the underdog, but I'm just saying that he's a dangerous guy given his makeup."

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Still, Pacquiao and his handlers, Top Rank Promotions CEO,

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, and, adviser,

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, have taken criticism for choosing Mosley over 37-year-old WBO and WBA lightweight king

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(51-5-1, 38 KOs) and 27-year-old WBC welterweight belt-holder

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(27-0, 21 KOs).

"The criticism is very understandable after Mosley was beaten so thoroughly by Mayweather," said Merchant. "It is understandable, I guess, after Mosley fought a stink-out artist in Mora that nobody can look good against and that Mosley didn't look good against." :bbb