Arum: Mosley still best pick vs Manny

MANILA, Philippines – Some called it garbage. Others said it sucks. That it’s a stickup.

Bob Arum, the world’s greatest salesman, said no way. He said it’s none of the above.

Arum said the Manny Pacquiao vs Shane Mosley fight on May 7 will be as good as the others.

That’s what he thinks.

The fight is set at the MGM Grand, not too hard to fill. But this early, some experts see a one-sided contest.

Again, the ageless chief of Top Rank disagreed.

“People are like, ‘Well, what about Mosley’s last two fights?’ Well, what about his last two fights?” he asked.

“Mosley fought (Floyd) Mayweather, and he’s the only guy in Mayweather’s whole career to really hurt Mayweather and to really have him in trouble. So Mosley is capable of hurting Manny,” Arum told boxingscene.com.

That Mayweather fight came last May when Mosley rocked the undefeated American early but failed to carry on, losing a lopsided decision.

Then last September he fought Sergio Mora to a draw.

“Anybody who made that match should be shot. To put Mosley, an older fighter, in with a guy who is completely defensive and just stinks you out is not doing Mosley any favors,” Arum told Lem Satterfield.

“So, as far as I’m concerned, the most competitive guy of the three for Manny is Mosley. And I mean, that’s after looking at Mosley’s whole track record.”

Others who had hoped to land the megabuck fight with Pacquiao were Juan Manuel Marquez and Andre Berto.

Arum said Marquez, of Golden Boy, overpriced himself out of the equation, reportedly demanding a guaranteed $5 million and $5 for every pay-per-view hit exceeding half a million buys.

Arum said Mosley’s style suits Pacquiao.

“So maybe if you put Mosley in there with a defensive fighter at his age, you know, Mosley runs out of gas because he can no longer handle it if you run from him.

“But if he’s in there with someone who comes forward like Pacquiao does, then Mosley still has the bullets and the counter-punching ability and he’s a strong guy who can give anybody like that trouble.”

Mosley said anything could happen in May.

“But for this fight against Manny Pacquiao, it’s up to me to make sure that that he doesn’t have the upper hand and that that isn’t the case. I’m coming into this fight knowing that that is not the case.”

Mosley, of course, is on the same page with Arum.