Eight-division world champion Congressman Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao hosted what many in attendance described as boxing’s No. 1 pound for pound media day workout.
A standing room only crowd of national and international media packed the Wild Card Boxing Club on Wednesday to interview Pacquiao, five-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum about Pacquiao’s May 7 World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title defense, at the sold-out MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev., against three-division world champion Sugar Shane Mosley.
The energetic Pacquiao trained for more than two hours immediately following an equally long interview session.
What Pacman, Arum and Roach said Wednesday:
PROMOTER BOB ARUM
“Nobody can count Shane Mosley out. He is a good, good fighter, especially when he fights an aggressive opponent like Manny Pacquiao.
“Shane Mosley is a dangerous fighter. He is bigger than Manny, strong and he still has his speed. He has never been stopped. He can take anyone’s best punch and come back as strong as ever. He’s so resilient. You can’t hurt him.
“Manny has trained harder than I have ever seen. He’s in the same condition as he was before he fought Miguel Cotto.
“My matchmakers said Shane would make the most entertaining fight for the fans. For pure name recognition Shane Mosley is the best fighter for marketability.’’
MANNY PACQUIAO
“I’m in top condition for the fight. I’m just excited to fight and beat people up.
“I never compare myself to anybody. I don’t look at my accomplishments compared to anyone. I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished in boxing.
“Shane can still fight. He’s fast and he’s training hard. It’s hard to rate him against the other (opponents). This time he’s determined to shock the world. It’s going to be a good fight.
“My concern is what fight we can give to the fans. My first concern as a boxer is to try hard and give a good fight for the fans.
“Mosley is bigger than me. He’s fast and his hand speed is still there. He’s faster than most of my opponents. He’s also preparing hard and he’s also good, so we never underestimate our opponent.
“I’m just going to punch him and do my best. If the knockout comes, it comes.
“In the ring I can tell right away what his style is and I can adapt to it. I’m adjusting to life as a politician. It’s different in training but I can stay focused on both.
“I never distract myself. I’m always in full force in the fight, full force in training. “I’m ready for the fight. I don’t want to predict. I just do my best and give a good fight. The way I’m training now I’m only 144 pounds.
“For me, boxing isn’t about hurting each other. Boxing is entertainment and making people happy.
“I don’t know who I’ll fight next. No idea. (Juan Manuel) Marquez is good for me – he’s not too big.
(On fighting Floyd Mayweather)
“For me, there’s a chance. It’s up to him if he wants to fight. He’s trying to wait for me to get older.”
TRAINER FREDDIE ROACH
“I’m excited about this fight because we know that Shane is going to bring it.
“Manny has had maybe his best camp ever and is in tip-top shape. He’s still hungry, and is training harder now than when he first started. There is no way he is taking this fight lightly and he is definitely ready for Sugar Shane.
“His motivation is his concentration. For this fight, he’s been able to stay totally focused. Before his last fight he had to worry about campaigning, Congress, music and making movies.
“Since we can’t wait for the No. 1 guy – you know who I mean — to stop running away from us, we have to fight who’s available. We got this offer to fight Shane and it made sense.
“Mayweather likes to say he is better than Sugar Ray Robinson, but I think it is more important for him to keep the zero on his record than it is to fight Manny. We hope the opportunity comes for a fight with Mayweather, but Manny is going to continue to fight, even if it means moving up in weight to go after nine titles.
“The fight with Sugar Shane will not be easy. But my prediction is that Manny will win by knockout and become the first boxer to stop Mosley.
“I know when I first started working with Manny that he was something special. But eight world titles? No one could have expected that.’’
FORMER NBA AND COLLEGE STAR JALEN ROSE
“I’m a big Manny Pacquiao fan. It’s a tough call to pick between him and Shane. Sugar Shane is a vet. He asked for this fight and he got this fight, but I think Pacquiao has too much speed and too much power. I’m a big fan of both fighters though. It’s going to be a great fight.”