Shane Mosley lost to both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in their primes, but had a clear answer in mind out of the two of them as the best he ever faced.
‘Sugar’ locked horns with the two pound-for-pound legends in 2010 and 2011, respectively, losing both fights by a wide unanimous decision.
His encounter with Mayweather is perhaps best remembered for its dramatic second round, when Mosley buckled his man’s knees with a thumping overhand right.
Mayweather, however, did remarkably well to recover from the shot in double-quick fashion, before piecing together an assertive response to cement his dominant victory.
As for his clash with Pacquiao, again at 147lbs, Mosley suffered a third-round knockdown before repeatedly feeling the full force of his opponent’s blistering fists.
Back then, Pacquiao was deemed as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, with other welterweight victories including elite performances against Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.
The Filipino icon then faced Mayweather just under four years later – having suffered defeats to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez – and lost a clear unanimous decision.
It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that in an interview with Ring Magazine, Mosley credited Mayweather as the best fighter he ever collided with, particularly highlighting his speed, defensive capabilities and jab.
“Best overall would have to be Floyd. He had everything. He had about three different categories where he was the best.
“The most speed, best defence and a good jab and good offence. I think that it’s also what he [did] with his movement and his angles.”
Mayweather and Pacquiao are now gearing up for a professional rematch on September 19, when they will headline a card at the Sphere, Las Vegas.
Mayweather, 49, has not fought professionally since 2017, when he defeated Conor McGregor, while Pacquiao, 47, boxed to a draw against Mario Barrios last July.
