Shane Mosley trainer: Manny Pacquiao repeats mistake we’ll capitalize upon
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Shane Mosley‘s trainer Naazim Richardson found by studying film big flaws that helped Bernard Hopkins upset previous unbeatens Felix Trinidad and Kelly Pavlik.
Thursday, Richardson said he’s found a repeated weakness in Manny Pacquiao that will help 8-to-1 underdog Mosley surprise the boxing world and beat the Filipino superstar Saturday night at MGM Grand.
‘May 8, we’ll talk about it,’ Richardson said in declining to detail Pacquiao’s Achilles’ heel. ‘You know, like in school, when they’d give you an answer to a problem you’d been having a tough time with. The answer is so simple you feel stupid.’
Richardson says that’s what happened to him as he watched both new and old DVDs of Pacquiao fights, unearthing information he says Pomona’s Mosley, 39, will seize upon.
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said at his own Thursday round-table discussion with reporters that while Pacquiao does have ‘some bad habits,’ they’re usually compensated by his speed and power advantage, along with his ability to fight with both hands.
‘We work on [flaws] every day,’ Roach said. ‘There’s no perfect fighter out there; everyone has an opening.’
Roach didn’t mind leaking it that Pacquiao is poised to strike when Mosley tries to unleash his left hook.
‘If you counter that right, you can knock him out,’ Roach said.
Similarly, Richardson said he experienced some deja vu from the time when he realized Trinidad was susceptible.
‘I understand this is a legendary fighter, but how didn’t people see this?’ he said. ‘[Pacquiao’s] speed is incredible, we got that. But if a bullet misses you, it’s harmless.’
UNDERCARD ACTION: Saturday’s undercard will include a super-middleweight comeback fight by former middleweight champion Pavlik, who has emerged clean from rehab at the Betty Ford Center for alcoholism.
Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs) will fight Texas’ Alfonso Lopez (21-0, 16 KOs) in a bout scheduled for 10 rounds.
Pavlik and his father, Mike, said they didn’t want to discuss the fighter’s battle through alcohol dependence that has been well chronicled and kept him out of the ring since his April 2010 loss by decision to Sergio Martinez.
‘He feels great, has been in the gym since January and he’s anxious, ready to go,’ Mike Pavlik said.
Kelly Pavlik added, ‘The story’s been done; everything’s been told.’
The Lopez fight will require ‘staying zeroed in on a kid who’s hungry, with a golden opportunity at stake. We do not take that lightly. I’m ready to show we’re back.’
The Showtime pay-per-view card ($54.95) also includes the WBO super-bantamweight title fight pitting Mexico’s colorful Jorge Arce vs. Miami’s unbeaten Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and a super-lightweight bout featuring unbeaten Mike Alvarado vs. Ray Narh.
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--Lance Pugmire
