By Chris Robinson
While a bit of a harsh reality, fighters in the sport of boxing are often judged based off of their last performance.
It is that reason, that despite all of his accolades, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao finds himself in a make or break situation with his forthcoming clash with former lightweight titlist Brandon Rios.
Pacquiao-Rios takes place on Nov. 23 from the Venetian Resort in Macau, China in an HBO pay per view showcase that figures to deliver with excitement.
And while Pacquiao is clear favorite heading into the match, there is some uncertainty surrounding him due to the fact that he was knocked unconscious after tasting a picturesque right hand from Juan Manuel Marquez this past December.
Former Pacquiao foe Shane Mosley, who lost to the Filipino star over twelve rounds in May of 2011, believes Manny will be able to regroup and be in top form by the time he faces Rios.
“I think that he knows he got hit with a good shot,” Mosley stated recently. “We’ll see, we’ll see. Every fighter approaches it differently, I wouldn’t think so. Him sparring and getting in the ring with other guys and seeing it was just a perfectly-timed shot. That’s what I would think in my mind but in his mind we don’t know. We’ll see when he gets in the ring and fights again.”
When assessing the fight, you can sense Mosley is leaning towards Pacquiao but can’t fully discount Rios’ sheer grit, power, and pressure.
“It’s going to be a very interesting fight,” stated Mosley. “Manny likes people to come at him and fight like that. That’s in favor of Manny Pacquiao. But Rios is a tough fighter and he’s very strong and he always gives you 100%. That should be an exciting fight, I believe.”
