Pacquiao primed for title fight against Mosley

HOLLYWOOD, California - Filipino pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will need find his killer instinct again if he is to become the first boxer to knock out former four-time world champion Shane Mosley.

The eight-division world champion Pacquiao, whose last fight was a 12-round unanimous decision over Antonio Margarito, will fight Mosley for the World Boxing Organization welterweight title on May 7 at the MGM Grand hotel and casino.

"I want Manny to knock him out and I think we can," said trainer Freddie Roach on Wednesday. "But Manny is a compassionate person at times. Like he wouldn't hurt Margarito.

"He took it easy on him in the last two rounds and let him last the fight. Asked him if he is OK a couple of times. Manny doesn't want anyone to get hurt."

Despite giving away 17 pounds, Pacquiao bloodied and bruised the bigger Margarito's face and then carried him through the late rounds. Margarito had to have surgery to repair a broken eye socket but it could have been a lot worse if Pacquiao hadn't let up.

"Boxing isn't about killing each other," Pacquiao said on Wednesday at the Wild Card Boxing Club.

"Boxing is entertainment. Entertaining people and making people happy."

But Pacquiao says he also can't afford to underestimate the 39-year-old Mosley who has gone 53 fights in his 18-year career without being knocked out.

Agence France-Presse