So after five years of will they won't they and back and forth with unreasonable pre-fight demands, the fight all boxing fans have been waiting is finally happening. On May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, two of the sport’s biggest names will collide in the most lucrative fight in history. But who wins? Below are five key aspects on determining the winner.
Speed
It’s universally known that both boxers possess truly amazing hand speed. You only have to look back at some of their previous fights to see this. Pacquiao throughout his career has been known to use his speed in short burst combinations punching from unnatural angles whereas Mayweather uses his lightning quick jab to full effect. Mayweathers counter punching is also one of the best in the business and he uses his shoulder roll technique to great effect. Can you remember the last time Pretty Boy Floyd had a cut or bruising around his face? Pacquiao on the other hand relies on burst of punches to get out of tricky situations along with his fast feet but in Mayweathers case his head movement and his exceptional footwork are his get out of jail free card.
Winner: draw
Power
Both boxers have knockout power but as they get older the Knockouts have become less frequent. Mayweather's last KO of an opponent was back in 2011 with a contentious KO of Victor Ortiz (Ortiz was looking at the referee). You'd have to go back even further to his fight against Britain’s own Ricky Hatton back in 2007 for a legitimate KO. For Pacquiao his last official KO was also of Ricky Hatton back in 2009. Out of the two boxers Pacquiao possesses more power which could potentially cause Mayweather all sorts’ of problems. How he didn't finish off former WBO Light Welterweight Champion Chris Algieri is anyone’s guess after having put him to the canvas six times. The most amazing thing with Pacquiao is that he has managed to retain some of his power from his days at Flyweight through to Light Middleweight. Just look at the state of Antonio Margarito's face after 12 rounds of being on the wrong end of a Pacquiao beating.
Winner: Pacquiao
Combination Punching
As mentioned previously the Filipino is known for his quick fire combination punching. He will hit Mayweather with lightning quick combinations from all sorts of angles with anywhere between five to twelve punch combos. He is also the more aggressive fighter out of the two, who will smother Mayweather for twelve straight rounds. These are the exact sort of fighters Money struggles with, just look back at his last two fights against the Mexican Marcos Maidana. ‘El Chino’ gave him the same problems but Maidana is a lot slower than Pacquiao and his stamina waned the further into the championship rounds as the fight went on. Mayweather on the other hand is a defensive fighter who will always look to counter and is probably the best counter puncher of all time. This is a great trait and has worked for him the last 47 fights but I think he really needs to change his game plan if he is to stay undefeated.
Winner: Pacquiao
Ring Generalship
No one can disagree that Money Mayweather is one of the greatest when it comes to ring generalship. He is still undefeated after 47 fights and the fights have been against top class opposition who have all had varying styles. When fights haven't been going his way he has managed to change the pace of the fight to his beat and has learned to adapt and change his fighting style whilst never straying too far from his defensive counter punching base. Pacquiao on the other hand has also been in wars but his strategy has always been of attack first defend later. This mindset led to him being on the end of a vicious knockout at the hands of bitter rival Juan Manuel Marquez even though he was winning on all three judges’ scorecards. The majority of Pacquiao's previous fights have been against opponents who have come forward or have come wanting to scrap it out. He won't get that from Floyd who is too smart to get into a brawl. Learning to adapt to Mayweather's style of boxing is an aspect that Manny will need to add to his game plan if he has a chance of winning this fight.
Winner: Mayweather
Crowd Favourite
When it comes to big fight nights like these the crowd can really play a big part. It’s no secret that most boxing fans respect Mayweather for his in ring ability but are not his biggest admirers when it comes to his flamboyance outside of the ring. He truly brings this on himself, with the way he conducts the pre-fight hype. Now this may be in the name of selling the fight and granted no one does this better than Pretty Boy, but selling a fight is one thing and making yourself hated by the various fans who you want to watch the fight is another. To be fair on Mayweather he has conducted himself a lot better than in previous pre fight activities. Pacquiao however, is cut from a totally different piece of cloth than Money. He is more humble, quietly spoken, is a politician in his native Philippines, does tremendous work for charity and is generally a more likable figure. His attack minded fighting style has also won many plaudits and fans from both the boxing world and also the entertainment world. This fight will see many celebrities from movie stars to musicians in attendance to watch and cheer on the last two remaining superstars of boxing. With the majority I feel cheering on Pacquiao.
Winner: Pacquiao
So conclusion, to win the fight is Pacquiao but I don't see it by KO. This will be a gruelling test for both fighters but I think Manny will cause enough problems for Mayweather to win by points. Do I think it will be a unanimous decision? Probably not! As the fight is in Vegas who knows what the outcome will be on the judges’ scorecards. But let’s just be thankful that the fight is finally happening even though its five years too late.
Source: DSG
