Arum, Roach see no easy fight: Mosley durable, poses big threat

MANILA, Philippines – At 39, Shane Mosley can still pull the trigger.

That’s why Bob Arum, Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach are saying it’s not going to be an easy fight.

“Shane is a very durable guy. He has a very good chin,” said Roach, who knows a good match when he sees one.

The multiple winner of the Trainer of the Year award said Pacquiao’s May 7 showdown with Mosley is not going to be a walk in the park because they’re hard to find these days.

“There’s no easy fight out there anymore,” said Pacquiao.

“People said the fight against Margarito was going to be easy. Was it easy? You all saw what happened,” added the vacationing Filipino champion.

Yes, Pacquiao has been on a roll, winning his last 13 fights. Most recently, he’d been up against the big boys, Oscar dela Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito.

Mosley, who beat Dela Hoya twice (in 2000 and 2003), lost to Cotto in 2007, and crushed Margarito in 2009, has never been knocked out in his long and colorful career.

The closest the pride of Pomona, California came to being stopped was against Vernon Forrest a very long time ago. He said it won’t happen against Pacquiao in Las Vegas.

“It won’t be easy but I think we can stop him in the later rounds. It won’t be an easy fight. When he beat Margarito everybody thought he was the best welterweight,” Roach added.

The celebrated trainer also told boxingtalk.com that Pacquiao won’t take Mosley lightly, and he wants eight full weeks of training beginning in March.

People have started to liken Mosley to Bernard Hopkins, the 45-year-old boxer who just wouldn’t stop. He came off two early knockdowns to beat 28-year-old light-heavy Jean Pascal just weeks ago.

“I’m ready to go and put on the best performance of my career,” he told boxingtalk.com.

“I demolished Margarito and then I knocked him out. Manny didn’t knock him out after I did and I don’t understand. This will be a great fight and it will be exciting. Everybody who has ever wanted to mix it up with me has gotten knocked out,” Mosley added.