Why Mayweather will Go Toe to Toe with Pacquiao

By Boxing News - 04/13/2015 - Comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfEyBvKyVmY
By Matt Lester: The world of sports will come to a complete stop come May 2nd. Two of the greatest fighters this generation has ever produced will lace their gloves and trade leather inside the squared circle. Manny Pacquiao the offensive juggernaut vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr, the defensive whiz.

Both have been known for their unique style, what makes this match beautiful is that this is a complete thesis and anti-thesis of the sweet science. Once and for all we shall find out if offense trumps defense or if it’s the other way around.

Yet despite the impending clash of very opposite styles, why are some analysts inclined to think that Mayweather will go toe to toe with Pacquiao? Has he finally given to the demands of the fans to embrace a fan friendly style? Is he giving in to the taunting of Pacquiao’s camp that he’s a potshot fighter who runs in the face of an aggressor?

Before we can come up with our inferences and explain them in detail let me point out a couple of indicators that might suggest why this theory might actually come to fruition.

1.) Mayweather Hiring Alex Ariza – We all know the wonders that Ariza did to Pacquiao as he moved from featherweight to lightweight to welterweight to light middleweight. Whether people are believe that Pacquiao’s success was a product of Ariza’s green shakes is immaterial, the fact remains that a former flyweight champion became a light middleweight champion and Ariza was part of the team that made it happen. Ariza’s introduction coincided with the changes in Mayweather’s training regimen, adding exercises like chopping wood and swimming. The rationale here is that Floyd is more focused on putting power on his punches with all the new exercises that he’s doing.

2.) He is trying to get busted on purpose– Mayweather and Marquez are both counter punchers, but they have very different approaches to counter punching. Marquez doesn’t mind receiving his share of blows as long as he can unload haymakers of his own in return. Mayweather on the other hand picks his shots, because of his hit and not get hit philosophy which when you think about it is really what the sport of boxing is all about. However, version of Mayweather for this match is not holding back in showing the public that he can take leather by getting hit on purpose. Eyewitness accounts have confirmed that Mayweather has busted his lips several times because of his rigorous sparring sessions.

I think the bigger question here is not what he’s doing to ensure he can go toe to toe with Pacquiao but why is he resorting to these measures after 20 year of fighting in a particular style? The answer is perhaps the same reason why it took 5 years to make this fight. Pacquiao’s style is the perfect counter to Mayweather’s. Let me explain why.

While it is true that Mayweather has faced his share of talented southpaws and defeated them all in convincing fashion (though not all entirely), the southpaws he faced lack 3 qualities that would’ve made their southpaw stance a perfect counter to Mayweather’s shoulder roll defense. Corley, Judah, Guerrero et al lack the following qualities namely:

1.) Speed (Judah had more of this though)
2.) Stamina
3.) Lateral Movement

The Great Roy Jones Jr. couldn’t’ve demonstrated it better, according to him the perfect foil to the shoulder roll is a southpaw that constantly moves to the right. A lefty that moves to the right, forces the orthodox boxer employing the shoulder roll to turn to his left (which is his blindside), thus making him susceptible to left straights while he is turning. Judah, Corley and Guerrero though southpaws, just stood in front of Floyd. Judah and Corley probably had some movement but none of it is hardly lateral to to this off, all gassed out after 5-6 rounds. Pacquiao will not tire and will be significantly faster than any of the southpaws Mayweather has faced. This then poses problems for Floyd who at 38 has recently been hit a lot because his legs are on the decline. Mayweather is in the process of employing the same strategy that Marquez used with Pacquiao. Pacquiao though fast and has punching power is prone to get drawn to brawls when he gets frustrated and it is in such occasions that he makes costly mistakes (see Marquez v Pacquiao IV).

My take is that Pacquiao will try to systematically box Floyd’s shoulder roll and break him down, Floyd will most likely impose his size and strength and turn it into a brawl to capitalize on Pacquiao’s mistakes. I’m sure Pacquiao’s camp has forseen this already and are probably happy that things are going this way, the only question though is that will Manny get caught in the euphoria because if he does Floyd is waiting for the perfect opening for the perfect punch. If this brawl scenario happens we are in for a treat, May 2 is going to be one explosive and historic night for boxing.



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