By Chris Williams: Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s) may have been knocked out cold in his last fight by Juan Manuel Marquez, but that doesn’t seem to have taken the Filipino’s fearlessness away from him because he’s hoping that his November 23rd opponent Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) will be coming to slug with him instead of using movement keep out of the way of his shots.
Pacquiao told abs-cbnnews, “[I] like his style because he keeps coming forward…he doesn’t try to run so we’ll have a great fight and the fans will enjoy.”
They say the aging fighter’s mind doesn’t grasp that his body has aged and can no longer do the things that it once did. I think that might be the case with the 34-year-old Pacquiao. He turns 35 in December, and he’s at age right now where him facing a slugger is no longer a good thing. I think it’s a very bad thing, especially with Pacquiao been knocked completely out in his last fight in December.
You don’t want to put guys that were knocked out cold with a puncher in their next fight. That’s an insane move that’s been done by Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum, and I think we’re going to see Pacquiao get possibly knocked out again. Let’s put it this way: I won’t be surprised if Pacquiao is knocked out cold again, and I don’t think it’s going to change the matchmaking done for him even if he does.
I suspect that if Rios knocks him out, then Mike Alvarado will be the next one that faces Pacquiao in early to late 2014, depending on whether Arum has Pacquiao rest for most of 2014 to let his head clear from the knockout.
Rios would be perfect for a young Pacquiao in his 20s, but Pacquiao isn’t young anymore. He’ll be 35 in December and that’s ancient for a small fighter. It’s even old for a lot of bigger fighters as well. But with all the mileage that Pacquiao has on him at this point in his career, I think Rios is a dangerous choice for him and he shouldn’t be happy that he’s facing a guy that will be coming to take his head off.
Rios is pretty clear what he wants to do on November 23rd. He wants to knock Pacquiao out and send him into retirement. That is his stated goal and he smells blood after seeing how fellow Mexican fighter Marquez knocked Pacquiao out.
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