By Chris LaBate
The body of "Sugar" Shane Mosley is the main target, says trainer Freddie Roach, who wants his boxer Manny Pacquiao to score a knockout on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Roach wants Pacquiao to work Mosley's body, break him down, and then go upstairs to the chin to finish him off.
The goal, says Roach, is for Pacquiao to become the first boxer to knock Mosley out. Mosley, a former three division champion, was dominated for a better part of last May's twelve round fight against Pacquiao's main rival, Floyd Mayweather Jr. If Pacquiao works the body correctly, Roach predicts Mosley will fall by the ninth round of the fight.
"Shane loves guys who come at him. Manny will come at him and Shane is a great counterpuncher with knockout power. That's why Manny respects him and has been working his ass off. Mosley has never been knocked out but I would like to make a statement in this fight. It's a difficult task but the key to knocking out Mosley is going to the body early. If we do that then I think we'll stop him in eight or nine rounds," Roach told The Guardian.