The Final Score: Is Pacquiao the most feared man in boxing?

Las Vegas - I saw it. Just steps away from the ring, within earshot of trainer Naz Richardson, right behind Jaime Foxx and LL Cool J, in front of Marco Antonio Barrera, Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr. and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., I witnessed what they all couldn't fathom. A proud, proud man feared for the anatomy of his recognizable face. The crowd spent unused energy to jeer. Observers close enough to see sweat splatter from boxer's punches shared perplexed looks. Shane Mosley is old in years. He is not timid by reputation. We tried to explain on television how a future Hall of Famer refused to fight. We attempted to rationalize how a former Fighter of the Year was ripping his own boxing mojo into shreds. Manny Pacquiao wasn't allowed to do much to aid the process. Mosley did even less to convince us otherwise. Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena was my introduction to the world crafted by Bob Arum's calculating mind, made even bigger by Pacquiao's fists. Riotous. Immense. A man in a Mexico baseball jersey cheered for Manny. Three huge guys, from 12 rows up, screamed at referee Kenny Bayless during the infamous 10th round. Hindi po sila Pinoy. Even at the end of a pugilistic disappointment, an international assembly of fans patiently waited for Pacquiao to pass through the exit. One blurry photo was all they asked. After the fight, Pacquiao took a long shower while Freddie Roach rested on an empty table in the training room. But Roach wasn't tired. Not much happened in 12 rounds. I remarked, "Surely, you and Manny had sparring sessions tougher than this." Roach replied, "Correct one hundred percent. Mosley hardly did anything." He sounded exasperated, like someone wasted their time; the days in Baguio, the hours inside Wild Card, nights watching fights on DVD, one insane week in Las Vegas. The result was a climactic pffft. Pacquiao emerged from the shower. He was impeccably dressed in a bespoke suit, ready to face the international media in 30 minutes. Like Roach, he seemed befuddled. Yet a win was a win. His winning streak since losing to Erik Morales remained intact. But he clearly wasn't satisfied. "Sorry," he said. "Sorry hindi po tayo nakapagbigay ng laban na gustong makita ng mga tao." Mosley's chance to shock was Pacquiao's opportunity to further validate a king's reign. Mosley, however, sensed imminent danger. How un-Vegas. He refused to bet big. Not after tasting Pacquiao's power in the third round. Not after witnessing Manny's speed in 3D. In the end, Mosley deserved understanding. When I interviewed Pacquiao, we stood shoulder-to-shoulder. And I'm not tall. I studied his boyish face and felt the charisma which fuels Barangay Pacman's phenomenal growth worldwide. Mosley looked at Pacquiao's face in the ring. Eyeball to eyeball. Sugar Shane discovered something else. What I saw in Mosley's frightened eyes, therefore, was only a reflection of the terror. The source: a small, stylish, apologetic man with boxing's biggest, most fearsome name. -- GMA News