By Tommy Gray: Nonito Donaire gives Manny Pacquiao a very good chance of beating Errol Spence Jr using his speed and movement. IBF/WBC welterweight champion Spence will be looking to use his size to control Pacquiao from the outside.
Spence sometimes gives his opponents an advantage by fighting their fight to give them a handicap. Although Pacquiao is 42, he looks a decade younger than his age.
Is Pacquiao still hungry?
“Every fight, there’s a chance of winning and losing,” said Donaire to Fighthype when asked about the Pacquiao vs. Spence clash. “He [Pacquiao] looked good in his last fight.
“Can he keep that up like he did to me, and I don’t count Pacquiao at all out. I think he has the capability of doing it, winning the fight.
“The question is, is he motivated, is he hungry enough? The other side is, how is he going to be fighting against a southpaw?
“When everybody is fighting a southpaw, you have a blindspot that he [Pacquiao] goes to constantly.
“Will he be able to do that against a southpaw is the question that everybody is eager to see. Do I think he [Pacquiao] has the ability to win the fight? Absolutely,” said Donaire.
For Pacquiao to be coming back after two years out of the ring shows that he can still fight.
The recent workout clips of Manny, 42, show that he still has a hunger for the game. But it’s a different story for Pacquiao to be dealing with a guy who will be looking to destroy him with every punch he throws.
Pacquiao will have a hard time
“It’s very difficult because we’ve never seen him in a southpaw match with a caliber like Spence, especially with the reach,” Donaire continued.
“Will it be difficult for him [Pacquiao]? It could be very difficult for him. Feint is definitely the key. For Spence, it’s the jab.
“For him [Pacquiao], it’s feint and head movement. Do I think he’s capable of it? Absolutely,” said Donaire about Pacquiao.
“I’m just excited about the fight; it’s an exciting fight. I just don’t count him [Pacquiao] out. I can’t count a legendary fighter like him out,” said Donaire.
Pacquiao is going to have a lot of trouble with Spence’s jab, as well as his power. It could be a disaster for Pacquiao if Spence comes forward looking to punch his fights out.
Dirrell: Spence could demolish Pacquiao
“Pacquiao is just as fast with his feet as he is with his hands,” said Andre Dirrell to Fighthype. “He’s just as explosive with his feet as he is with his hands.
“So Errol is going to have some problems, but overall, the youth of Errol, the skills, the power, and just the energy alone.
“That’s going to be a big problem for Manny Pacquiao. He has to pull off some kind of upset, dropping Errol to slow him down.
“If he can’t do that, I think Errol is going to go in there and demolish him, I really do.
“It’s going to make some adjustments on Errol’s part, but once he gets past that adjustment and he finds his niche, he’s going to exploit it and take advantage.
“He [Pacquiao] will not surpass Mayweather; he lost to Mayweather. We know he’s not on Mayweather’s level.
“Definitely at the top of the game,” said Dirrell when asked what a win for Spence over Pacquiao does for his career. “He’s definitely at the height of his game.
“Everybody wants to see Errol. He has the attitude; he has the grit, he has the determination, he has the fight, he has the win.
“The list goes on and on and on. He’s everything you want in a boxer or fighter. And he’s going to bring entertainment, and he’s going to bring the skills.
“He’s going to be at the top of his game and be ranked the best. Just by beating Manny Pacquiao, we have to put him there,” Dirrell said.
If Spence goes after Pacquiao, he’s got an excellent chance of winning the fight. Pressure for Spence will be a key asset for him. He’s got to back Pacquiao up and not let him be the one coming forward.
Spence vs. Crawford will be huge
“But the fight I’m looking forward to is Crawford and Errol Spence,” said Dirrell. “Do I think we’ll get it? Yeah. Can I predict a year? Not at all.
“It’s going to come down to which of them wants it more. Mayweather and Pacquiao are nothing compared to what EJ and Terence Crawford are going to be if they get a chance to meet in the ring when it comes to action.
“I got Crawford because I believe in his boxing ability. He’s one of my favorite fighters.
“When it comes to mentality, they both have the same mentality. When it comes to mindset, it’s there for both of them. Who do I believe the better boxer is? Terence Crawford.
“We know he can fight long, and he can bang. He’s very careful when he does so. He’s been hurt before, so we know EJ can hurt him. But he’s a purebred boxer; I really believe he can brawl when necessary,” Dirrell said.
Spence has the power to hurt Crawford if he takes the fight to him ad puts hands on him early. It doesn’t play into Spence’s hands if he chooses to stay on the outside and box.
Errol must press Crawford to get the win
“That’s what I love about Terence Crawford,” Dirrell said. “If EJ wants the victory, he’ll have to press Crawford from bell to bell.
“He’s [Spence] has been in there with the opposition, so he knows what it takes.
“And he knows that Terence hasn’t been in there with the opposition, so he knows what he has to do to put him up to the test.
“We have to see it to believe it, but I think Terence Crawford has all the tools. He’s the only guy that can beat EJ right now,” said Dirrell.
We got to hope that the Crawford vs. Spence can get made immediately after EJ battles Pacquiao on August 21st. Spence has already said that he’ll be going up to 154 after two more fights.