By Salven Lagumbay
FORMER pound-for-pound king and current WBA welterweight king Sugar Shane Mosley has once again put superstar Manny Pacquiao on a defensive, this time challenging the Pinoy boxing icon to a fight at a weight right into the latter's alley.
Mosley, in an announcement to the media yesterday, said he is willing to move down to 140 lbs, Pacquiao's comfort zone, just to entice the latter to a fight following reports that the planned Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight hangs in the balance due to weight issues.
Cotto is reportedly willing to fight Pacquiao at 145 lbs, while the latter insists the fight be held at 143 lbs.
Mosley, in a move that surprised many, says he can take on Pacquiao at 140 and win his belt as well as reclaim the pound-for-pound title.
“I believe I can make the weight so let's do it! There should be no 143, 141 or 142 or all this other stuff. I'm going to 140 and fighting at his weight,” Mosley told Fighthype.com in an interview.
Mosley also believes that even at 145 lbs, Cotto will find it very difficult to make weight, so a Pacquiao-Cotto fight at 143 lbs is definitely not going to take place.
Aside from agreeing to fight Pacquiao at 140 lbs, Mosley also indicated he would be willing to give Pacquiao a bigger share of the purse, 60-40 in Pacquiao's favor.
“He's the champion so he's going to get more and I've got no problem with that. Let's just get this on,” added Mosley.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao's LA-based friend Jeff de Guzman has advised Pacquiao to take up the Mosley challenge instead of fighting Cotto.
“Aba, harap-harapan na niyang hinamon si Manny ah. Dapat pagbigyan na nga,” De Guzman stated, adding that a fight against Mosley will be more meaningful than a fight against Cotto.
“Mosley will be fighting for his legacy as well, and he has stated he has never won a belt at the 140-lb class, so Manny might as well fight him,” said De Guzman.
“That will be a really good fight,” added De Guzman.
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