MAYWEATHER VERSUS PACQUIAO FOR ALL THE MARBLES!
By Reylan Loberternos
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 28 Apr 2015
Tagbilaran City, Bohol - We?re no longer counting weeks, but days before Floyd ?Money? Mayweather, Jr. and Manny ?Pac-Man? Pacquiao, two of sports world?s most recognizable figures, finally strut their stuff for all the marbles in boxing?s biggest event in recent memory.
By now, most boxing scribes, experts, and even fans alike already have their take on this mammoth encounter between fighters with the biggest fan base. Here in this piece, we shall dissect some salient points that might sway your inclinations or might as well give you a better judgment for this upcoming bout.
Let?s focus first on the tangibles. At age 38, Money May is a veteran of 47 professional bouts, 26 of which didn?t last the distance, and a combined 363 boxed rounds over the course of his unbeaten career. Pac-Man, on the other hand, though a couple years younger than his foe at age 36, has been in 64 ring battles that include 407 boxed rounds. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native stands at 5?8? and has a reach of 72?. The fighting pride of Saranggani Province in Mindanao on the flip side is at 5?6 ?? with a reach of 67?. Floyd has fought almost exclusively at welterweight for about 10 years now, whereas Manny is a relative newbie to the weight division, having stepped into the heavier weight class only about half those number of years ago after plying his trade in the lower weight divisions most of his career.
Now, let?s delve into the more interesting realm of the intangibles. Both ring combatants are arguably the best in their chosen pugilistic predilections. While Mayweather is the epitome of a defensive master, Pacquiao is by far the greatest offensive fighting machine this era has ever seen.
Floyd?s success has always revolved around his discipline and consistency in not deviating from what works for him, even at the expense of fan satisfaction. His selling point is the ?undefeated? tag and he will do whatever it takes to keep that word connected to his name at all cost. He is the master of adjustments. His uncanny patience and ability to modify his game plan midway through the fight has served him well over the course of his unbeaten professional boxing career. The idea that he?s afraid to face Pacquiao, or any fighter for that matter, is all bunkum. He is just as deliberate in his choice of opposition as he is inside the ring. One can even say that he?s more of a businessman than a fighter.
Manny, for his part, has never been one to shy away from danger. He?s fought some of the biggest names in the sport. More often than not, he?s been called crazy for choosing to face guys much heavier and much bigger than him. Then again, after every challenge he?s faced, it?s those so-called experts that turned out to be crazy for thinking otherwise and those fighters looking all washed up, badly beaten and bruised, after each bout. If there?s one thing that drives Pacquiao?s success inside the squared circle, it is definitely his hunger to please the fans. His desire to entertain and delight the fans fuels the organized chaos that he generates, darting in and out, bobbing and weaving, and throwing lightning-quick combinations, leaving his foes dazed, disoriented, and bewildered.
The Pacquiao-Mayweather tussle is intriguing at the very least. One thing?s certain, though. Mayweather?s not going to change the way he fights. Like the counterpuncher that he is, he will be content to wait, patiently waiting for Pacquiao to come in and commit mistakes. His five-inch reach advantage, coupled by his one-and-a-half-inch height advantage, gives him a major ?effective reach? advantage over Pacquiao. Thus, he will be satisfied in just throwing jabs while keeping his distance. Remember, Mayweather?s motivation is to win, and not to please the audience. On the other hand, Pacquiao, as always, will be expected to initiate the fight. His foot speed and quickness will be able to neutralize whatever shortcomings he has at the height and reach departments. The most glaring advantage he has over Mayweather, though, is his southpaw stance. Floyd has had trouble against fighters that can throw the left hook or left straight. I wouldn?t be surprised if Mayweather resorts to his very unpopular clinching tactics if and when he?s in trouble.
Contrary to popular belief, a few fights ago, PBF would have had a clear advantage. At this point in time, that advantage has tremendously shrunk. Pacquiao is no longer the gung-ho, you-hit-me-I-hit-you, devil-may-care fighter. His game has evolved into a calculating and methodical boxer-puncher with above-average defensive acumen. His only problem, really, is that he gets too excited when the fans are roaring. This proved too costly for him in that final encounter against arch nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez. It was by far his most dominant performance against Marquez in all four of their fights, apart only for that knockdown and the knockout that put the lights out of the fighter also known as the Mexicutioner. More so against Mayweather, Pacquiao cannot make that same mistake again, if he wants to be the first fighter to put a dent on Mayweather?s immaculate professional record. Pacquiao needs to fight less for the fans this time around, if he hopes to achieve that magical feat.
This Battle for Greatness isn?t only great in terms of its relevance to the annals of boxing, but also to the business aspect as well. The likelihood of a rematch is far greater if Pacquiao wins than if Mayweather keeps his record clean. Already the richest in boxing history, the powers that be could pretty much influence the result of this bout, if the fight goes the distance, most especially if it?s close. The stakeholders would certainly want a repeat, wouldn?t they? A betting man might as well put good money for a draw for insurance purposes. Then again, I wouldn?t count on that. With all things considered, the great Manny ?Pac-Man? Pacquiao adds another Hall-of-Famer to his already long list of victims when all is said and done. Pacquiao knocks Mayweather out within 10 rounds.
Comments are highly appreciated. You may email them thru reylanloberternos@yahoo.com.ph.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Reylan Loberternos.
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