By Ronnie Nathanielsz

MANNY Pacquiao is focused on his fight against International Boxing Organization light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton and isn?t thinking of the possibility of a fight against newly crowned welterweight champion Shane Mosley, who scored a ninth-round TKO win over Antonio Margarito on Sunday (Manila time).

Television announcers Allan Massingale and Rich Marotta raised the possibility of ?the little guy from the Philippines? taking on Mosley just like he did when he battled heavily favored Oscar de la Hoya at 147 pounds and mauled him into submission in eight rounds last Dec. 6.

World Boxing Council founding secretary-general Rudy Salud, a longtime and ardent supporter of Pacquiao, said he believes Mosley is too big for Pacquiao and it won?t be an attractive fight that will draw the fans to the venue or on pay-per-view.

International referee/judge Bruce McTavish told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that Pacquiao needs to take care of Hatton first, before thinking of future fights since The Hitman is a tough opponent and cannot be taken lightly.

McTavish said that if Pacquiao?s handlers were thinking of another fight at 147 pounds, then they should hope for a Mosley rematch against Miguel Cotto, with Pacquiao fighting the winner. ?This is one of the biggest fights ever.?

American trainer Rick Stehely, who prepared Pacquiao for his World Boxing Council flyweight title fight against Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul in December 1998, which Pacquiao won by an eighth-round knockout, said a Pacquiao fight against Mosley would be tough.

?Mosley was still pretty quick and has an awful lot of power. Manny will have a problem,? said Stehely, who added that to use Pacquiao?s performance against De la Hoya as a yardstick in assessing his chances against Mosley would not be wise. ?De la Hoya was a shell of his former self.?

To both McTavish and Stehely, if Floyd Mayweather Jr. comes out of retirement because of reported problems with the US Internal Revenue Service regarding his taxes, then that may be a better option.

?Mayweather is vulnerable because of his long layoff,? said Stehely. ?He doesn?t throw a lot of punches.?