Pacquiao is hittable, says Mosley

MANILA, Philippines — If there’s one thing that never leaves a fighter, it is his punching power, American fighter Shane Mosley said.

Mosley took a shot at those criticizing his advanced age of 39 years, boasting that he still has power on both hands and that he is much, much quicker than the Mexican mauler that Manny Pacquiao beat up late last year.

Describing the Filipino as “very hittable,” Mosley told fighthype that he has genuine chances of scoring an upset on May 7 when the two welterweights wage a war at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mosley said Pacquiao is easy to hit “and that’s the problem he has with me because I can put your lights out,” Mosley, who turns 40 in September, said.

“I mean, whether says I’m old or this and that, my punching power ain’t going nowhere. I’m not as slow as (Antonio) Margarito. I’m three times faster than Margarito, so if Margarito can touch him, I can touch him, too.”

Mosley was referring to Margarito’s relative success in inflicting damage on Pacquiao when they fought and his ability to evade punishment as evidenced by his masterful win over the same guy in January 2009.

Mosley never had trouble disposing of Margarito in nine rounds when they went at it, while Pacquiao had to endure Margarito’s vicious body shots en route to a lopsided decision victory.

Pacquiao, 32, is the huge betting favorite owing to his string of huge wins over the best fighters campaigning from super-featherweight (130 lbs) up to super-welter (154) the past few years.