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Pacman, Mosley in the money

Dallas - Manny Pacquiao will earn at least R133 million when he fights in Las Vegas on Saturday. His opponent, Shane Mosley, will get more than R33 million.

Mosley knew what was coming from the minute he signed to fight Pacquiao. He has been in enough big fights to understand his role in this one.

What Mosley believes boxing fans don't understand is that he has a real shot to pull off an upset over the best boxer in the world on Saturday night.

"It's going to get very interesting, very quick," Mosley said on Wednesday.

Pacquiao is the 6-1 favourite but he says Mosley may prove to be his most difficult fight since he became a superstar by beating Oscar De La Hoya.

"He's not an easy opponent," Pacquiao said. "He's the kind of fighter you can't underestimate."

Pacquiao is expecting the Mosley of his prime, not the fighter who looked so ordinary in losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr last year, followed by a draw with Sergio Mora.

"It's an opportunity to show people I'm not washed up," Mosley said. "My legs are good, they're strong and ready to go. You don't lose your power. They say you lose your speed, but I haven't lost my speed either."

Mosley will earn a minimum of $5 million (R33 million) to take on Pacquiao, the boxer-congressman-singer who has become a worldwide phenomenon.

He may earn every penny of it if Pacquiao looks like he did in dismantling Antonio Margarito in his last fight in November.

The only knock on Pacquiao, who is guaranteed $20 million (R133 million) is that he spends too much time doing things that have nothing to do with boxing.

That includes an Oval Office meeting with President Barack Obama when Pacquiao was in the United States in February to begin promoting the Mosley fight.

But he has proven he can manage them well, whether it's his duties as a congressman or recording his latest music CD.

Pacquiao combined some of those duties at the press conference, with an announcement that he will wear yellow gloves in the ring as a message of hope in fighting hunger in his native Philippines.

He also called out songwriter Dan Hill in the audience, whom he teamed up with to recently record and release Hill's song "Sometimes When We Touch."

But boxing is his main job, and Pacquiao gave every indication he plans to put on a show in an arena that has been sold out for five weeks.

It's the same arena where he made his US debut ten years ago as an undercard fighter who took a bout on two weeks' notice and still won.

"It's nice to be back here," said Pacquiao, whose last two fights were at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. "This is an important fight for me and millions of my fans."

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