deceptive
Shane Mosley’s coach reveals Manny Pacquaio punched harder than Shaquille O’Neal and compared it to being hit by Deontay Wilder
Manny Pacquiao has finally called time on his glittering career to focus on his political ambitions in the hope of becoming President of the Philippines.
The former eight-weight world champion retired from boxing on Wednesday morning after a career which spanned more than four decades.
5
Aged 42, Pacquaio lost his last fight in August to Yordenis Ugas – relinquishing his WBA welterweight title in the process – and ultimately felt unable to continue at the highest level.
With a burgeoning career in the civic service at home waiting, fans across the globe are reflecting on what was an enthralling rags-to-riches story.
One of six children, Pacquiao left his home in Kibawe at the age of 14 where he sold doughnuts for a living to board a boat to Manila in the hope of becoming a boxer.
Blessed with tremendous athleticism, he began as a flyweight and quickly ascended through the weight categories as his stopping power became more and more evident.
5
In 2011, he faced Shane Mosely for the WBO welterweight title and invited the late, great Nazim Richardson into his dressing room at the MGM Grand.
‘Pac-Man’ famously always wrapped his own hands and had fought Antonio Margarito just a year prior, the Mexican who was infamous for using plaster of Paris wraps before his own fight with Mosley.
In order to be transparent and honest, the Filipino wanted to prove he was above board and fair and also demonstrate his own incredible power.
“I remember him wrapping his hands,” Richardson told . “He kept asking me if I wanted to see.
5
“I was like, ‘Son, go ahead and wrap your hands.’ He just wanted to make sure with all the stuff that had gone on before.
“I guess he was basically saying, ‘I punch so damn hard, you may want to see every step of this because you may think I have something there.’
“I held my hand up for him like this [punches his hand] and I said ‘S***’. Had I not seen him wrap that hand, I’d ask him to re-wrap that damn thing.
“But he just punched that hard.”
5
‘Sugar’ was defeated on the night via unanimous decision, but not before he touched down in the third round.
Having ‘fought’ NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal on his reality show, Mosley was more than accustomed to dealing with big punchers.
Yet Richardson claims it was like nothing he had seen or felt before and likened it to two of the biggest punchers of the era.
“Before they fought, I was trying to get Shane to respect his power,” Richardson continued. “Shane said he wanted to feel it.
5
“I said, ‘Shane, you may never get to feel anything else.’ So I asked Shane, ‘You ever been hit by Shane Mosley?' He said 'I've never hit myself'.
“I told him. ‘You’ve never been hit by Shane Mosley and he’s never been by Manny Pacquiao. One of y’all is going to find out what it’s like to get hit.’
“One of them was going to find out what it felt like, so it was better that he landed on him first and let him feel it, than you.
“Afterwards he said it was different, he’s been hit by some big dudes. Shane’s been hit by Shaquille O’Neal.
Read More on talkSPORT
“Shaquille popped Shane on the nugget, but this was different. You see that in guys that hit like Pacquiao, [Sergey] Kovalev, Deontay Wilder – guys that punch like that.”
Topics