Shane Mosley Says He Was Hurt More With Pacquiao Than Mayweather

Shane Mosley is one of the fighters that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fought. Recently, Mosley recalled the experience he had with Mayweather and Pacquiao. According to Mosley, he was more hurt when he fought Pacquiao than Mayweather, only because he wasn’t in top shape when he clashed with the Filipino.

Mosley faced Mayweather in the ring on May 1, 2010. He lost via twelve-round unanimous decision to the undefeated American fighter. The following year on May 7, 2011, Mosley lost to Pacquiao also via twelve-round unanimous decision. During his fight with Pacquiao, Mosley was knocked down in the third round, but still he was able to finish the fight and carry on until the very end.

Speaking to Robert Brown of On The Ropes Boxing, Mosley said he wasn’t in top condition when he fought Pacquiao. He said that had a pre-existing injury and he was also going through some rough patches in his marriage. The only reason why he took the Pacquiao fight was because he was blinded by the huge amount of purse he will get from it.

“With ‘Pacman’ I didn’t have a good gauge on what I could do with him since I fought him four months after having surgery on my Achilles tendon,” Mosley said. “By the end of the fight I had blood blisters on my right foot from compensating on it cause of my Achilles, I should have waited on the fight, but the payday was too big.”

Mosley added that he knew he had no chance against Pacquiao only because he wasn’t in the perfect fight shape. He reckoned that the outcome of the fight would have been different if he was in good condition then.

As for his bout with Mayweather, the 43-year-old six-time three-division world champion said that he was hurt, “but not as bad,” adding that he almost knocked Mayweather out in the second round of their fight. Still, he is betting his money on Mayweather to win the fight against Pacquiao on May 2.

Although Mosley claimed that he was “seriously hurt” with Pacquiao, he still managed to finish the bout. He believes that Mayweather’s defensive prowess will be the key for the American to emerge victorious on May 2. Mosley added that Alex Ariza, who previously served as Pacquiao’s conditioning coach, also gives Mayweather the edge against the Filipino. Mosley said that Pacquiao has to be aggressive early in the fight if the Filipino wants to beat Mayweather.

In just 23 days, the world will know who will come out as the winner between Mayweather and Pacquiao. Prior the main event, three fights have already been confirmed for the undercard of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, namely, Jesse Hart vs. Mike Jimenez, Chris Pearson vs. Said El Harrak, and Vasyl “Hi-Tech” Lomachenko vs. Gamalier Rodriguez.

To report problems about this article or leave feedback, email r.corpuz@IBTimes.com.au.