Sugar Shane Mosley, who showed his age and the wear and tear of 53 professional bouts and 376 live rounds against listless Sergio Mora Saturday, did not help his standing in the Manny Pacquiao Big Fight Sweepstakes.
That's the word from Pacman promoter Bob Arum, who was busy with religious observance on important Jewish holiday Yom Kippur and did not view the bout live.
I asked Arum on Sunday if he had read the less than glowing reports of the draw between "B Lister" Mora and fading superstar Mosley.
Personally, watching on a huge HD Manhattan movie screen, I saw Mosley as 9-3 winner in rounds and a 117-111 victor on points. But one judge favored Mora, the second Mosley and veteran Lou Moret evened it out with his 114-114 tally.
"I did and I read them saying Mosley was huffing and puffing for air in the fourth or fifth round," Arum said. "To me, that is the real tipoff for an aging fighter. Even Big George Foreman did that in his 40s but he always had that big, big punch like in the (Michael) Moorer fight.
"What I've read is not very supportive to make any Mosley-Pacquiao bout. Look, he's going to be 40 and he's in the lighter weights where speed is so important. He's on a show with guys (example, 20 year old Saul Canelo Alvarez) old enough to be his son.
"I guess Shane needs the money due to his matrimonial sitaution (a divorce under harsh California community property rules)," Arum said. "I've always considered Shane to be a nice guy but this is what happens to fighters when they age.
"It's like (Bernard) Hopkins, he still knows how to fight but who wants to pay to see him now? His fights are not very scintillating. What you see with Hopkins we're beginning to see with Mosley."
Arum said he wouldn't be interested in playing the flakcatcher if he made a Shane-Manny bout at this point.
"I have to constantly be aware of this, the flak from the naysayers. We've faced with (Antonio) Margarito for Nov. 13 and we got real, instant flak. But now even the naysayers are looking at that just as a fight. Now the pendulum is swining the other way and they're saying maybe Antonio is too strong or too big for Manny."
On another front, Arum said Julio Cesar Chavez assured him face to face in a meeting at Top Rank's Las Vegas offices Wednesday that he will fly to the Philippines this Saturday to train with Freddie Roach and do some sparring with Pacman in Baguio.
Arum is planning a Dec. 4 Atlantic City doubleheader featuring Chavez against Polish gamester Pawel Wolak and Miguel Cotto in the co-main to hopefully set up a late February or March showdown between Cotto and Chavez.
Meanwhile, Kermit Cintron, also a Puerto Rican, has been blasting trainer Manny Steward accusing the Kronkmeister of blocking his path to a showdown with Cotto.
Steward told me on Saturday accepting or rejecting Froggy Kermit, his former charge, was not his decision to make.
Watch Pacquiao vs Margarito Fight instead and make your pick. It is between the sensational pound-for-pound king and the heavy puncher. Who will emerge as victorious on their November 13, 2010 fight? Watch out boxing fanatics!
Source: examiner
No comments:
Post a Comment