By Peter Vandever: Manny Pacquiao is fun to watch.bHe puts the backsides in the seats and the people around the television. He is a blast to see fight. I agree. Watching the street fighter from General Santos City is a joy. The greatest strength of Pacquiao is his greatest weakness: he is a street fighter.
Look through his BoxRec record and you see he has had trouble with skilled boxers. You can talk about Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto and for sure TIm Bradley. No matter how you score the Bradley fights, they were a struggle for the Congressman from GenSan.
Here is three reason that I believe he will struggle on May 2.
1) Boxing is a sport
Let’s face it: Boxing is a sport, not a fight nor a business. Yes, it has business to it and yes it does at its most simple form involve fighting. However, it is really about a sport. A very skilled sport at that.
Floyd Mayweather Jr is the best they come in boxing. He is one of the best skilled people in the professional ranks. It takes a lot of humiliate Miguel Cotto but Mayweather did it. He is just that good.
In boxing on this level, defense wins. Pacquiao cannot counter strike and slip like Mayweather. Also he can’t match the world’s best shoulder roll either. He just can’t.
Believe it or not, boxing is not a popularity contest. It is scored on ability, not public image. You view about Floyd outside the ring doesn’t matter when the opening bell goes off.
2) Manny has little experience in boxing
Boxing comes in the amateurs. It is not done on HBO but at the Ringside World Championships. In the amateurs, it is about winning titles and championships, not who pays the most. Boxing is about well, boxing.
A quick look at the records and you see a Bronze Medal at the 1996 Summer Games and Golden Glove National Champion vs a few with a few local fights in the Philippines. That is not even the same league. 84-6 vs a questionable amateur career.
Before you say that the amateurs doesn’t matter, they do. In a fight on the highest level and it come to actual skills, having that foundation is critical.
I believe this is how Bradley convinced the judges in 2012. They saw his raw boxing skills more than Pacquiao’s showmanship.
Skills always win.
#3) Nationalism doesn’t win championships.
I live in the Philippines. I know the “image” of Pacquiao all too well.
It is not the United States vs. the Philippines. That Summer Games stuff.
It is only Manny Pacquiao against Floyd Mayweather Jr. No one else really matters. Benigno Aquino and Barack Obama will not be in there. You won’t see any famous actors in the ring either. Only the two men.
I understand the national pride is great for marketing in the Philippines but helping win a prize fight against Floyd Mayweather? Not going to help.
In fact, connecting nationalism to a boxing match is very dangerous because when (not if) he loses on May 2, the national image will be hurt.
How could Manny win?
The only way he can actually win is by forcing Mayweather to bang, aka street fight. That is no easy task. Mayweather tend to set the tempo in the ring. Getting him upset and forcing a brawl is very hard. In fact, I have never seen anyone do it yet.
In a competition of skill, Pacquiao is in deep trouble.
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