By Mark Vester
WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is expecting a battle of speed when he defends the title on May 7th against former champion Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mosley is faster than most of Pacquiao's recent opponents, which includes Antonio Margarito, Joshua Clottey, Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao is still a lot faster, and a lot more active than Mosley.
"For me, I believe that Mosley can give a good fight on May 7. I watched his last two fights and he still can punch, and he still has the power. He can move and he has the hand speed. And because of his hand speed and footwork, he can give a good fight," Pacquiao told USA Today.
For the second camp in a row, there are concerns regarding possible distractions that are related to Pacquiao's political career. Pacquiao himself is not concerned.
"I wasn't distracted in that last fight [vs. Antonio Margarito]. Others are distracted, but not me. My mind, my heart, I wasn't distracted in that fight. I proved it, you know. Maybe some people around me are distracted, but not me. I really don't believe in distractions. Distractions are always there if you allow them to distract you. But if you control your mind, body, what you do everyday, nobody will distract you," Pacquiao said.