Mosley says talks set for May 7 Pacquiao fight

"Sugar" Shane Mosley, a former world champion in three weight classes, told the Los Angeles Times on Monday that his advisor was to meet with Manny Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum about a May 7 fight. Hours after sending a Twitter message about a Pacquiao fight that said "the ink hasn't dried yet but it's pretty much a go", Mosley said prior discussions set the ground for finalizing a deal quickly, the newspaper reported Monday.

"We've already discussed the fight about three, four weeks ago, so now we'll go over it again," Mosley told the Times. "Both sides just need to commit to what we've talked about and then I think we're done."

Mosley said his advisor, James Prince, would "go over the particulars and maybe sign" a deal to fight Pacquaio, who turned 32 three days ago. Mosley, a 39-year-old American, is 46-6 with one draw and 39 knockouts while Filipino superstar Pacquiao is 52-3 with two draws and 38 knockouts.

"Pac-Man" has won 13 fights in a row, the southpaw having not lost in nearly six years in a span that has seen him dispatch such stars as Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Mosley, however, has lost twice and struggled to a draw in his past five fights, falling to Puerto Rico's Cotto in 2007 and unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jnr last May before being drawn by American Sergio Mora last September. Mayweather has twice failed to come to terms on a fight deal with Pacquiao for the megafight showdown fans have desired and Mayweather now faces legal charges over two incidents in Las Vegas set to go to court early next year.

Mosley was the biggest other US name among Pacquiao's possible foes, but also the one with the weakest recent results on a list that included a potential third fight with Marquez and a rising US star, undefeated welterweight Andre Berto. One detail that needed to be settled by Pacquiao, according to Mosley, was an exact weight for the fight. Pacquiao could fight at welterweight near 147 pounds or perhaps risk his World Boxing Council junior-middleweight crown. Reports that Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach wanted Mosley to submit to drug tests in the wake of the American's ties to the 2003 BALCO steroid scandal did not dissuade Mosley, who said he would submit to tougher tests, as he did before fighting Mayweather, as long as Pacquiao was required to do the same.

Pacquiao vs Mosley getting closer

Shane Mosley has one foot inside the ring, as Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent. Bob Arum of Top Rank said the Filipino icon will be back in action on April 16 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or just five months after his 12-round demolition of Antonio Margarito in Dallas. Arum wants two fights for Pacquiao next year, and probably the only way to this is if the fighting congressman in Sarangani holds his next fight no later than May.

“I have to make sure with Manny and make sure he’s okay with it. It’s an ideal date, right after the Final Four and the start of the baseball season and right around the beginning of the NBA playoffs,” said Arum,

“As long as it doesn’t interfere with his duties as a congressman, I think we’ll be in good shape,” he told the Las Vegas Review Journal.

There are a couple of names being considered, and since it’s highly improbable for Floyd Mayweather to step up the plate, the choice is down to Mosley or Juan Manuel Marquez.

“It looks like it’s Mosley,” said Pacquiao’s business manager, Eric Pineda, yesterday.

“The only thing we don’t have now is the contract,” he added.

Reports said negotiations have been ongoing between Pacquiao’s representatives in the US, including his adviser Mike Koncz, and Mosley, who’s willing to seal the deal by himself. Mosley is ready to keep Golden Boy, which promoted his most recent fights, out of the deal because he must have realized that it’s the only way for him to land the fight with Pacquiao. Golden Boy and Top Rank are locked in a legal battle regarding Pacquiao’s fight earnings. A fight with Mayweather could earn Pacquiao as much as $70 million (roughly P3 billion), according to one of his advisers, Chavit Singson. But there are too many obstacles facing the superfight. Pineda said Pacquiao is not backing off from any fight, not even with Mayweather or Marquez, who’s been shouting all over that he had beaten Pacquiao twice.

“Manny wil fight anybody. We know that,” said Pineda.

“But I think it’s going to be Mosley. I just don’t know anything about the date. Manny said he wants to return to the ring in May,” Pineda added.

Pacquiao picks Mosley over Marquez

Newly-crowned World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight king Manny Pacquiao said he is willing to face former champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley. Pacquiao said a battle against Mosley may turn out to be a more interesting fight than with his other rival, Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico.

He added that the former World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion has a wider fan base compared to Marquez.

“Marquez? Siguro walang manonood... walang pay-per-view (Marquez? Nobody might watch us… no pay-per-view),” said Pacquiao.

Mosley has been chasing Pacquiao since the Filipino won over Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto in 2009. After Pacquiao’s win over Mexico’s Antonio Margarito, Mosley reached out to promoter Bob Arum to negotiate the fight despite being a shareholder of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP). GBP is the business rival of Arum’s Top Rank promotions.

Marquez, meanwhile, has already fought Pacquiao twice. The first fight was in May 2004 when the match ended in a draw despite Pacquiao scoring 3 knockdowns over Marquez. A rematch took place in March 2008 when the Filipino champion again decked the gutsy Mexican for a split decision. Both fights ended in controversial fashion.