Roach Warns Pacquiao: Don't Underestimate Mosley

By Chris LaBate

Trainer Freddie Roach continues to advise Manny Pacquiao to take Shane Mosley seriously. The Filipino WBO welterweight champion will defend his title against "Sugar" Shane on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Roach doesn't want Pacquiao's focus broken by people who continue to call Mosley "an easy opponent."

“I just need to get Manny to stop listening to those people who see that this will be an easy fight. That's the worst thing in the world that they could tell him,” Roach told 8countnews.com's Brad Cooney. “You're the best fighter in the world. If Shane wins against Manny, those last two fights [Floyd Mayweather and Sergio Mora] will go away."

Roach is not going to allow Pacquiao to get caught in the same way that Mayweather was clipped in the second round of last May's fight with Mosley.

“We need to be ready for something like that. We're not going to underestimate him [Mosley], we're gonna be in great shape, we expect him to be in his best,” said Roach. “Mosley actually is the better puncher and quicker, of course… this is the first guy Manny's gonna fight that has fast hands, he throws a little bit angle. We should come up with a better game plan, beating him to the punch."