AVILA RINGSIDE Pacman Runs Over Mosley; Mexico’s Arce Surprises Vazquez

LAS VEGAS-WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao blitzed through Pomona’s Sugar Shane Mosley despite leg cramps and scored a knockdown and fired a constant barrage of punches in winning by unanimous decision.

Mosley was never in the fight. Speed was overwhelmingly the difference.

“Manny is fast. As fast as I’ve ever fought,” said Mosley about Pacquiao.

Once again Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) dominated before 16, 412 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena made another great fighter look ordinary. But after the fight Pacquiao seemed disappointed that Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs) could not keep up.

After two rounds of a high speed sparring match, Pacquiao caught Mosley with a sidewinder left hand the dropped him for the count in the third round. Mosley beat the count but looked stunned and wisely held on for the remainder of the round.

Mosley slipped into counter punch mode for rounds four and five as Pacquiao moved in for quick combos and overhand lefts. Both fighters butted heads with Mosley offering apologies.

A cramp in Pacquiao’s left leg slowed down the speedy champion.

“I couldn’t move cause my left leg got tight,” said Pacquiao.

As the Pacquiao avalanched seemed to continue, Mosley fired a lead right and left hand with some body shots mixed in to maybe win his first round.

After having his best round Mosley returned to counter punch mode as Pacquiao aggressively stalked him with lightning combinations. Though the Filipino slugger never hurt Mosley he put the thought in his mind in round seven.

A pair of right hand counters connected for Mosley but Pacquiao walked through them and attacked again. A left hook caught Pacquaio but not enough to stop the rush of punches in a close round eight.

Pacquiao stepped into another gear and moved in even quicker in round nine. Combinatons sliced Mosley who was moving back less but catching more. A left to the body and left to the head snapped Mosley’s head back violently.

Mosley was given a gift knock down against Pacquiao in the 10th round when a gentle push and trip of the feet sent the champion down to the mat. Referee Kenny Bayless erroneously scored it a knockdown to Pacquiao’s surprise.

Pacquiao kept the punches coming in the final two rounds and expected Mosley to return fire with guns blazing. It never happened. When the final bell rang a seemingly dejected Pacquiao just shrugged.  

All three judges scored almost every round for Pacquiao. The scores were 120-108,120-107 and 119-108.

“He’s the best fighter I’ve ever fought,” said Mosley who’s fought in more than 20 world title fights. “Manny has speed and power.”

Fans wanted a knockout not a decision.

“I did my best,” Pacquiao said. “Shane is fast.”

Other bouts

Mexico’s Jorge “Travieso” Arce upset WBO junior featherweight titleholder Wilfredo Vazquez of Puerto Rico by stunning technical knockout in the final seconds of the final round to capture the title. It’s his third world title in three weight classes.

It was slow going at first for Arce who tried to figure out a way to reach inside the arm length of Vazquez. The speedy Puerto Rican was slippery and quick inside and used that to floor Arce in the fourth round with a perfect left hook. Arce continued with his bull rushes.

Around round 11 the Mexican fighter increased the pressure and unleashed a furious assault that seemed to stun the slowing Vazquez who was pinned against the ropes. At the end of the round it seemed Arce thought the fight was over. He still needed one more round and looked drained.

The bell for the final round rang and Arce immediately set out to attack like a hungry pit bull and pinned Vazquez against the ropes again. Punch after punch was fired by the Mexican as Vazquez head snapped back over and over. As referee Joe Cortez let the assault continue the Puerto Rican fighter’s corner waved a white towel and got no response. They then fired a bag of water and ice across the ring and Cortez finally ended the title fight at 55 seconds

Two judges had Arce and Vazquez even going into the final round.

Former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (37-2, 32 KOs) moved up a weight division and found it tougher in beating Alfonso Lopez (21-1, 16 KOs) of Cut and Shoot, Texas by majority decision. Back and forth action between the two dominated the match until the final round when Pavlik’s right cross did serious damage to the valiant Lopez. Scores were 95-95 Adelaide Byrd, 98-92 Dick Houck and 99-91 by CJ Ross.

Denver’s Mike Alvarado (30-0, 22 KOs) won by technical knockout over New York’s Ray Narh (25-2, 21 KOs) who was unable to continue after the end of round three of a welterweight fight.

Former world champion Rodel Mayol (28-5-2, 21 KOs) of Philippines seemed to have more of everything in beating Mexico’s Javier Gallo (17-4-1, 9 KOs) by majority decision after 10 rounds. Mayol was taller, faster and more accurate in beating Gallo in a flyweight bout.

Junior welterweight prospect Jose Benavidez (11-0, 10 KOs) overwhelmed South Carolina’s James Hope (6-8-1) with speed and power. In the fifth round referee Vic Drakulich decided Hope was absorbing too many blows at stopped it at 1:43 of the frame.

Canada’s Pier Cote (16-0, 11 KOs) thoroughly battered Azusa’s Aris Ambriz (15-2-1, 8 KOs) through three rounds including a knock down in the second. Referee Tony Weeks stopped it at 46 seconds of the third round

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