Mosley pushing hard for Pacquiao fight

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Shane Mosley and I have known each other for more than a decade now. We’re both residents of the Inland Valley, and I first met him while working for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin several years ago, covering a visit he made to meet young fighters at the Pomona YMCA (which ended with us having a nice chat while eating Juan Pollo chicken burritos).

Even if we’re now working for larger audiences, I think Mosley is biting off more than he can chew when he urged me Thursday to ‘make this fight happen. Go out there and say this is the fight that everyone wants to see.’

Certainly, a Mosley bout against Manny Pacquiao is attractive: the world’s top welterweight (Mosley) against the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter (Pacquiao).

And honestly, disregarding the Mosley lobbying effort, Pacquiao-Mosley is more attractive than Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto or Pacquiao-Edwin Valero. I don’t know that I want to see it more than Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez (they’ve already staged two classics) or Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr.

But I know some of Pacquiao’s people don’t like the Mayweather match-up because of Mayweather’s tendency to run and play defense, and I know how tough they know Marquez is.

So Pacquiao-Mosley makes sense.

But getting the deal done is not in Mosley’s hands, or my hands. It’s up to Pacquiao, his promoter Bob Arum and their people. They’ll huddle after the Cotto fight vs. Joshua Clottey June 13 in New York to discuss their game plan.

Mosley is working harder than he ever has (even more than he did to land the 2000 showdown against Oscar De La Hoya) to get Pacquiao in the ring. He seized on a comment by Pacquiao during an interview in the Philippines as a verbal acceptance of a challenge to fight at a catch weight (around 144 pounds) and allow Pacquiao to have a 60-40 split of the purse for an Oct. 17 fight.

‘It’s what Pacquiao wants, he expressed that,’ said Mosley, dismissing a Thursday morning news release by Pacquiao that the Filipino boxer is considering all options, not just Mosley. ‘The promoters should let the fighters choose who they want to fight.’

Pacquiao’s desire to maximize revenue is part of a Mosley fight appeal, the Pomona boxer said.

‘It’s a worldwide fight, and I’ve met a lot of his demands to make this fight,’ said Mosley, 37. ‘I just want to show now that I’m the pound-for-pound best in the world. That’s why I want this, to prove I’m the best fighter out there, even at this age.’

‘Pacquiao has said, ‘I accept your challenge.’ I love that about him. I respect him so much. I see a lot of me in him. He’s the best fighter, I’m the best welterweight. I can’t see why I won’t be in the ring with him.’

--Lance Pugmire