Lessons Learned: Pacquiao Versus Mosley

“Fool me once shame on you…you fool me, you can’t get fooled again.” — George W. Bush

While the brilliant quote above was provided by the forty-third president of the United States of America, a man whose eight years in office were spent responding to the chaos caused by Osama bin Laden, I wouldn’t dare try draw some sort analogy between the events of Sunday night and the sweet sport of boxing. I don’t want my words to mess with a good thing.

But what I do say to all documentary makers — which include HBO’s 24/7 and Showtime’s Fight Camp 360 — fool me once shame on you…well, you know the rest, ‘W’ put it best.

I’ve touched on this once before, so I’ll make it brief.

I am a sucker for documentaries, plain and simple. I own a documentary about a local mayoral race, an eerie one about people who jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, and one about crossword puzzles. It’s a sad reality that I’ll watch a documentary on pretty much everything.

So just imagine my excitement when my love of documentaries combines with my passion for boxing. Nothing better. I become mesmerized, absorbing every nugget of information like a sponge.

What’s that, Freddie? Manny seems distracted by his other obligations and this camp is slow to start? Hmm…

And Cotto…Margarito…Mosley…is having his most dedicated camp to date?

Thanks, but no thanks, I’ll still take the Filipino Congressman.

In 2009 I was convinced Miguel Cotto was going to handle Manny Pacquiao. After Cotto was obliterated by the quickness of Manny from round 5 on, I ate my words.

In retrospect, I realized it was because I allowed 24/7 to convince me that Pacquiao was distracted and that Cotto’s size advantage and strength would rule the day.

But before the series aired, I thought Manny’s speed would be too much for the Puerto Rican to handle. After the series, my mind had changed. And to be sure, my ability to be influenced by documentaries — and 24/7, in particular — stretches back way before the Cotto-Pacquiao incarnation. But it was the Cotto-Pacquiao series that would mark last time I ever let the smoke and mirrors of television influence my fistic inclinations.

So with that said, I do want to applaud Fight Camp 360 for not creating any false storylines. I also want to applaud them for going beyond the ring and behind the scenes to take a glimpse into the inner workings of the sweet science.

They have done this before with their airing of clips from the Super Six negotiations that took place in New York City. It gives fans a neat insight to the sport that they would otherwise never have.

With regards to the fight, Fight Camp 360 has not swayed my opinion one way or another. I’m casting my vote for the Congressman, along with the rest of you. It’s an easy decision, like Nixon in ’72 or Reagan in ’84.

And like those two far superior candidates, Pacquiao too will win in a landslide.

For one, Mosley’s defense is suspect. He gets hit enough as it is. Put in front him — or to the sides of him — Manny “Angles” Pacquiao, and you’re going to have a Shane Mosley whose face resembles that of Antonio Margarito’s on November 13, 2010.

Unlike Floyd Mayweather, who had his way with Mosley by throwing one punch at a time, Pacquiao throws punches in bunches and believe me, they’ll land.

For what would be the first time in his Hall of Fame career, I think Mosley gets stopped in the championship rounds.

The game-changer of course, is Mosley’s right hand. Will he be able to load up and land it? I doubt it. But he did rock Money May with it, so you never know.

So while I think this is smooth sailing once again for the Pacman, as ’43’ would warn likely warn his fellow politician, ‘Just don’t “misunderestimate” Mosley.’

Kyle Kinder can be found at Twitter.com/KyleKinder or [email protected]

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank