By Lem Satterfield
LAS VEGAS -- In boxing circles, it is a well-known theory that Shane Mosley has been most troubled by fighters who are taller and/or defensive -- a testament to five of the six losses and the lone draw on his 53-fight ledger.
Mosley has lost twice by decision, respectively, to counter-punching, defensive wizard, Winky Wright, and the late, taller Vernon Forrest, the latter being the lone man who has put Mosley on the canvas.
In his last fight, Mosley lost by a lopsided decision to Floyd Mayweather, this, a little more than a year ago on May 1. In September, Mosley battled to a lackluster draw against taller ex-champion, Sergio Mora.
But when it comes to developing a strategy for his eight-time titlist Manny Pacquiao (5-2-3-2, 38 KOs) in preparation for Saturday night's WBO welterweight title defense against the 39-year-old Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs), it is Mosley's November, 2007 unanimous decision loss to Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KOs) that five-time Trainer of The Year Freddie Roach has watched the most.
"The best fight to watch, I think, is to watch how Miguel Cotto beat him. He out-boxed him. He showed him a little movement. Cotto fought a good fight and got him really frustrated in that fight. Cotto fought a great fight that night. All that he did was use a little lateral movement, and that's what we do," said Roach.
"I watched that fight a lot. I watched it more than most. We're going to box, but my guy does like to exchange. I mean, they're going to exchange at that point, and that's why I'm going to have him set up the exchange in the right way," said Roach. "I don't want him to just walk in there and fight him. I want him to go in there and use his footwork and use his feignts and counter him. If Manny Pacquiao fights the fight that we have designed for him to fight, then it should be an easy night for him."
In November of 2009, Pacquiao dethroned Cotto by 12th-round knockout to earn his current WBO belt.
"I think that Mosley fought a very intelligent fight against Cotto, and that was a very good fight. But I think that it ended up that Cotto ran out of gas and had to become a boxer in that fight going down the stretch," said Arum. "If you remember, he out-boxed Mosley in that fight to win it when he didn't have any strength. I think that that's a really good template of how to beat a Shane Mosley at the top of his game."