photo by Chris Farina

The temptation might be there for some of you to go out on a thin limb, and pick Shane Mosley over Manny Pacquiao in their welterweight tussle which unfurls at the MGM Grand on Saturday evening.

Because anyone picking the 39-year-old Mosley to get the better of the top pound for pounder in the game today, Manny Pacquiao, if “Sugar” pulls it off, will be seen as a modern day Nostradamus.

Thing is, here's a dirty little secret. Nostradamus was wrong a hundred times for every guess he made which turned out to be correct.

Along those lines, many of us here at TSS think Pacman and Mosley, this version of Mosley, who seems to have vastly diminished reflexes working against him, could fight a hundred times, and Manny would win the overwhelming majority.

Maybe it's not fair, but some Pacmaniacs might pick Manny to win every time. In the ring, ageism is alive and well. For every Bernard Hopkins who mimics fine wine, there are a thousand other guys who take on a vinegar flavor. Lately, Mosley's aroma has been a bit off, it must be said.

TSS Universe, how do you see this playing out? Could Mosley (46-6-1, with 39 KOs), who turns 40 on September 7, pull off the upset of the year, and take down the Congressman? He's looked less than scintillating in his last two outings, a loss to Floyd Mayweather and a draw with Sergio Mora, but could he make us all look like jokers, and laugh all the way to the bank with a throwback performance? Or do you think Pacquaio (52-3-2 with 38 KOs) will go all Navy Seal on
Mosley, storm him and take him out with that stellar blend of power and precision? Editor Mike thinks Pacman, who last lost in March 2005, to Erik Morales, will be the first man to stop Mosley, though he thinks the showman in Manny will “let” the Californian have some time in the sun for a short spell in a few rounds. Manny likes for the fans to get their money's worth.

Head to our Forum, and drop your prediction in there. Make it like a Manny straight left: powerful, and to the point. And thanks for reading, y'all.

Comment on this article