Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao admitted being a bit disappointed with former world champion Shane Mosley, who engaged him in an evasive fight during their 12-round battle in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
Although he was happy to retain his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown, Pacquiao said he is not fully satisfied with the way he kept it.
“It's good but not really 100% satisfied,” the fighter of the decade said in an interview with ESPN.
Pacquiao said he was expecting Mosley to engage him into a toe-to-toe fight.
“He's moving around, he didn't want to fight with me. I thought he's coming inside and fight with me,” the Filipino said.
Mosley refused to engage Pacquiao aggressively, especially after he was decked by the Filipino champion in Round 3.
“That's why we saw less action in the ring,” said the Filipino champion.
Leg cramp
Mosley's running around the ring and Pacquiao's seemingly tepid attacks earned boos in the end of the 8th and 9th rounds as the crowd of 16,000 at the MGM Grand Arena tried to spur the 2 fighters to engage.
Unknown to many, Pacquiao was suffering from a leg cramp as early as the 4th round and could not press his advantage.
"I asked them to press my leg because it really hurts. In the last 3 rounds, it felt better," he said in a separate interview.
On Mosley’s ‘knockdown’
Pacquiao also admitted being infuriated after Mosley scored a questionable “knockdown” in the 10th round.
Pacquiao was caught off balance when Mosley threw short punches after a clinch. The American boxer gave him a shove to send the Filipino down the canvass.
Referee Kenny Bayless ruled it as a knockdown in favor of Mosley. He gave Pacquiao a mandatory count despite the Filipino champion’s protest.
“Even if you didn't get hit that's still a knockdown. It's already recorded in the scorecards,” said Pacquiao. “That's why I got mad. I had to recover on points.”
According to Yahoo! Sports, Bayless later apologized to Pacquiao over the mistake.
When asked who he prefers to fight next, Pacquiao, who also serves as the congressman for the lone district of Sarangani province, said he’d rather leave the decision to his promoter.
“I want to go back home in the office,” he said.
His boxing promoter, Bob Arum, said he is looking for a November fight date between Pacquiao and Mexican champion Juan Manuel Marquez.
Arum said he will let the Filipino champion take a breather first before discussing his next bout.
Fans disappointed over 'bromance'
Some of Pacquiao's fans shared his view on the Mosley fight.
Most of Pacquiao's fans who paid P500 to watch the bout at the UP Diliman Theater were left disappointed.
Some called the match "boring," citing that they were expecting an action-packed match.
Some complained that the 12 rounds were more of a "bromance" than a boxing match, saying both Mosley and Pacquiao lacked the aggression they were expecting.
Some fans, however, said that they were satisfied with the match.
Each time Pacquiao connected with a punch, the crowd cheered wildly at the theater.
At least 1,800 fans attended the UP screening. Although a number of patrons complained, one was rushed to the hospital after experiencing chest pains while cheering for Pacquiao.
The patient was brought to the East Avenue Medical Center. -- With a report from Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News
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