Shane Mosley has made a very tempting offer to Manny Pacquiao. “I am ready to fight (Pacquiao) at 140 (lbs) now,” Mosley said in a statement released by his publicist Lauren Renschler on Saturday.
“There is unfinished business to take care of. I have never fought at junior-welterweight,” said Mosley, whose emergence could pose a threat to negotiations to finalize a deal for a Pacquiao bout against Miguel Cotto for November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“This is the fight the fans want and I’m prepared to give it to them. It’s up to (Pacquiao promoter) Bob Arum and Manny Pacquiao to stop running from me and step up to the challenge. Let’s meet in the ring at 140,” said Mosley, who, only last week had given up after it appeared that the Pacquiao-Cotto tiff is a done deal.
Mosley began his career as a lightweight (135 lbs), slowly moved up and actually fought once at junior-welterweight against Mike Bryan, who Mosley stopped in less than a round in Mississippi in January 1996.
Since leaving the lightweight ranks in 1999, Mosley has fought mostly at welter and even at super-welter (154 lbs) for at least seven times.
Earlier this week, Pacquiao declared that he will insist that he will agree to face Cotto if the catch weight is 143 lbs after Cotto stood firm in his decision that it has to be at 145 lbs.
Pacquiao said he should be the one dictating the terms owing to his stature aside from the fact that he is not a natural welterweight, having only weighed 138 lbs against Ricky Hatton in his last fight and 142 lbs against Oscar De La Hoya late last year.
Both Pacquiao and Cotto fight under the Top Rank banner of Arum, who is in the final phase of his European vacation and is expected to return to the US Sunday night, in time for a press conference in Los Angeles the following day.
“I want to reclaim the title of best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. First Pacquiao, then Mayweather — I’m ready to put all of the naysayers to rest,” said the 37-year-old Mosley, who holds the World Boxing Association welterweight (147 lbs) crown.
Pacquiao lawyer Jeng Gacal believes Cotto can still lower his weight for Pacquiao.
source: NICK GIONGCO at mb.com.ph
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