By Dave Lahr: The great trainer Emanuel Steward saw Manny Pacquiao’s recent fight with Shane Mosley last weekend and came away from it thinking that Pacquiao is starting to lose his physical skills. It didn’t take a great trainer like Steward to point that out, though, because it’s painfully clear just by looking at Pacquiao that he’s starting to slow down as a fighter. The old legs aren’t moving his small frame around the ring like it used to.
The jumping in and out is no longer a part of Pacquiao’s game. He’s now someone that plods around the ring and has trouble cutting off the ring. Pacquiao never was very good at cutting off a ring, but with his wheels slowing down on him, it’s really noticeable now more than ever. When the legs go there isn’t much time left unless you keep matching Pacquiao against soft old guys or ones that have been pounded on already and slightly stunned when they enter the ring.
Here is what the outstanding trainer Steward had to say about Pacquiao at eastsideboxing.com: “I think Manny Pacquiao has slipped a little bit. He’s had a lot of hard fights and when you have 50 fights, regardless of what type of fights, usually there is little bit of wear and tear…recent fights where [his] opponents have been very, very carefully selected. It’s an unbelievable marketing job on the part of Top Rank…His fights as a welterweight have been very carefully picked and these weight stipulations like welterweight but not 147 or junior middleweight but not 154. You know, but I can’t blame him or his promoters. If they can do that and get away with it it’s great.”
Yes, I agree Steward that Pacquiao is showing wear and tear. It happens. A fighter gets old, loses there legs and starts looking sloppy. He’ll get away with it as long as he’s carefully matched but if they put him in with a guys like Victor Ortiz, Sergio Martinez or Andre Berto, I see Pacquiao getting knocked out.
“I would give Floyd [Mayweather] the edge,” Steward said. “I think he’s bigger than Manny is and I think his boxing techniques would be a problem for Manny and Floyd would capitalize on Manny’s bad position sometimes when he throws punches.”
I completely agree with Mr. Steward. Mayweather would pound Pacquiao and make him look bad.
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