By Ramonito Legaspi: When boxing observers make prediction as to which of the two fighters will win when they square off in the ring, they usually look at the boxing skills of each fighter apart from their physical attributes. The one who has superior boxing skills is favored to win the fight.
When they consider Floyd Mayweather Jr’s skills, they zero in on his counter-punching ability with pinpoint accuracy, his superb timing, his bobs and weaves to slip punches, his shoulder roll, his hand-foot speed, his ability to adjust inside the ring, and his ring generalship.
They find Mayweather’s skills a sharp contrast to Manny Pacquiao’s. The latter’s aggressiveness, his ability to cut the ring, hand-foot speed (comparable to the former), his southpaw stance, his vaunted left hand straight, his powerful right hook, his lateral movement, his in and out movement, his awkward position when he throws his punches, and his stamina. These skills Pacquiao will have to utilize to have a fighting chance against Mayweather, observers believe.
However, Mayweather’s fans believe that Pacquiao’s chances of giving Mayweather his first defeat is next to nil. They argue that his accurate counter-punches will be enough to offset Pacquaio’s offense. Just as the advancing Pacquiao collapsed like a building when Marquez hit him with his right hand straight, so too Pacquiao will fall into Mayweather’s trap rocking, toppling the Pacman to the canvas with counter shots.
Their argument goes like this: If Pacquiao had struggled against Marquez, a counter-puncher, whom he fought four times, then he would struggle against Mayweather, a consummate counter-puncher. Mayweather then will have an easy fight against Pacquiao.
But Pacquiao’s fanatics won’t accept that logic. Although Marquez is a natural counter-puncher, he doesn’t simply wait for his opponent to attack, and then counter attack.
Yes, he picks his shots but he doesn’t just throw 1-2 combination then get out of harm’s way. He can unleash multiple-punch combination too. Marquez can also stand his ground and trade punches if needs be. To that, Pacquiao had no antidote. Hence, he struggled against Marquez, but will not against Mayweather, they say.
Although an accurate counter-puncher who anticipates his opponent’s next move, Mayweather doesn’t always take chances. He doesn’t like to get hit.
Hence he would rather throw counter shots with 1-2 combination then get out of the danger zone than throw multiple-punch combination which would only leave himself open for his opponent’s counterattack. After throwing a 1-2 combination, he would then grab his opponent to disrupt the opponent’s momentum.
So, Pacmans’s fans argue that if Mayweather fights the way he usually fights, then he will lose to Pacquiao by decision or by knock out as he throws his power punches in bunches.
Of course, some of Pacquiao’s shots will miss the target, but many will land on Mayweather’s body and face. Mayweather will try to counter shot Pacquiao’s offensive left and right with all his might. But Pacquaio will not mind getting hit as he presses his attack, as Mayweather is not known for knocking out opponents with one power shot, unless Pacquiao is Victor Ortiz.
So they believe that their man will not hesitate to come in and penetrate Mayweather’s defense. He will wear down Money May with power shots until Pacquiao’s explosive left hand straight explodes in Floyd’s chin.
What an unbelievable spectacle! They imagine Floyd sprawling on the canvas.
However, a fight of this magnitude dubbed “Battle for Greatness” where two of the worlds’ best are pitted against each other, the tangibles do not play as much as the intangibles.
They are both highly-skilled, highly talented, highly experienced. Pacquiao is best in being Pacquiao. Mayweather is best in being as he is. So skill-wise and in physical attributes, only a thin line of difference exists between the two, however contrasting their styles may be.
Let’s then turn our attention to one intangible Floyd possesses, an intangible that doesn’t play in his favor.
This intangible is Floyd’s fragile self-esteem. It is fragile because it is moored in the current of external events.
A person whose self-esteem depends for its validation on his pristine professional boxing record of 47 wins will one day be devastated at the harsh realities beyond his control.
To avert an impending threat to his unbeaten record, he controls the present; he controls his circle of influence as much as he can to ensure success in his future fights.
Hence he is a control freak. He wants to control everything like a king. Everyone in the negotiating table should give in to all his demands. Nothing should get in his way. In every match-up, he sees to it he is the sure winner.
That’s why he avoids boxers he perceives as potential threat to his 0 loss column. Of course, he has fought elite boxers and has beaten them all. Even then given his compulsion to control everything, the decision to fight these fighters must have gone through meticulous deliberation.
The top most question he must have asked himself, “Am I 100% sure to beat this fighter?” If the answer is yes, then the fight is on. And if he only had a slim chance of beating his potential foe, then avoidance and alibis would be the best option. But if he only had, say, 75% chance of keeping his 0 loss column, then he would put off the negotiation for years until his potential foe lost a step in foot speed or showed some vulnerabilities in his defensive arsenal or signs of wear and tear.
Hence Mayweather had refused to fight Miguel Cotto in 2008, but he fought him in 2013. The 2008 version of Cotto must have struck Mayweather as a formidable rival who could give him his first loss. He too had shied away from Antonio Margarito. Had Mayweather taken the challenge, he would have won a unanimous decision against Margarito. But he had perceived him to be a dangerous slugger. So Mayweather had opted for another beatable contender.
Until recently, for five long years Mayweather had been making excuses to get himself off the hook with Pacquiao. However, pressure from the media, boxing higher ups, boxing scribes, hard core boxing enthusiasts, casual fans, and from Pacquiao himself took a toll on him. Floyd was cornered. The world of boxing made him to accept the fight in ways he had never envisioned. He had no choice. His legacy was at stake.
But agreeing to face Pacquiao would mean courting disaster. Pacquiao may well be his stiffest opposition. Hence, he trembles in fear. It consumes him. No wonder he is uncharacteristically silent. Gone is his bravado, his trash talking which is his second nature.
If fear is given free rein holding him captive, then Mayweather will not be able to bring himself into the heat of battle. We will see him eat Pacman’s flurries of punches from awkward angles.
What a tragic night for Money May. His 0 will be taken away from him. His self-esteem broken. Floyd Mayweather will meet his Waterloo on May 2.
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