By Sean Jones: WBA interim lightweight champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero views the August 21st fight between Manny Pacquiao and Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr. as a pick ’em match-up, and he feels either of these guys could come out on top.
Romero thinks it could be problematic for the 42-year-old Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) to get past the long jab of the taller 5’9 1/2″ Spence 27-0, 21 KOs). If Pacquiao can’t do that, he won’t use his angles of attack to land his shots.
Spence has got the tools to win this fight with his size, youth, and his power. The 42-year-old Pacquiao is old now, hasn’t fought in two years since 2019, and that layoff could hurt him.
Better for boxing if Spence wins
“It’s hard to ever go against Pacquiao. I think on paper, it’s better if Spence wins. There’s more money behind him, and he’s not on his way out, no losses and all that stuff,” said Rolando Romero to Fighthype.
“Then there’s Pacquiao, who somehow always wins. Like I said, on paper, it should go to Spence, but I can’t ever take away anything from Pacquiao. That [Jeff] Horn fight was weird,” said Romero about Pacquiao’s loss to Jeff Horn.
“Floyd [Mayweather Jr] is Floyd, and Marquez was getting his a** beat when he flatlined Pacquiao. Marquez didn’t even realize that he knocked him out.
“Also, Pacquiao is older, but Pacquiao never ages. I don’t know, so I can’t say anything either. This is like Wilder-Fury, a pick ’em fight.
“This one [Pacquiao vs. Spence] is a pick ’em fight too. It’s not like there isn’t one clear winner, so it’s difficult, you know? That’s what’s good for boxing, though.
“He’s a system fighter,” Rolly said about Spence. “He’ll go in there and outwork you and dog you, dog you and dog you and break you down over and over.
“I don’t think Spence is that hard of a puncher. I know he can punch, I know he can crack, but I think he breaks you down little by little.
“Pacquiao, I don’t think he’s that hard of a puncher, but he throws so many punches from different angles, and you don’t even see them. They come so fast.
“Also, you’ve got to realize this. It’s southpaw and southpaw,” said Rolando on the Spence vs. Pacquiao fight. “So, it goes to whoever is going to jab more? Spence jabs more.
“Is Pacquiao going to be able to get the angles that he’s used to on Spence? So, if I were making a bet, I would take Spence. But like I said, I could never count out Pacquiao because Pacquiao is Pacquiao.”
When asked how Manny can get past Spence’s jab, Romero said, “Be Pacquiao. Pacquiao is a faster fighter, and he doesn’t get tired. That’s the only fight I’ve seen him get tired.
“I think he took his time too because Thurman is a puncher, you know. I think the casino will go with Spence because there’s more to win with him, especially in the long term. With Wilder-Fury, I have no idea what the hell is going to happen there,” said Romero.
It makes sense what Rolly says about it being better for the sport if Spence wins because he’s got another five, maybe before he retires. With Pacquiao, this is probably it for him, so it wouldn’t help boxing if he beats Spence.
Romero NOT a Pacquiao fan
“I’ve never been a Pacquiao fan. A Floyd fan,” said Romero. “It’s just that with Pacquiao, but he has a really ugly style.
“Outside the ring, he’s been very boring, and inside the ring, he’s an exciting fighter, but he’s not the style that I like watching.
“For me to sit down and watch a Pacquiao fight, it’s hard for me. I like the [Ricky] Hatton fight. It was like two rounds?
“I like that fight, but as I said, I’ve never really been a Pacquiao fan. I didn’t watch the Horn fight; there were many fights that I didn’t watch. Pacquiao-Broner, Pacquiao-Thurman, I watched because I was there in person.
“Pacquiao-Hatton, it was two rounds, so it was kind of hard not to watch. Pacquiao-Marquez 4, I remember that one perfectly. The other ones, Pacquiao-Morales, Pacquiao-Barrera.
“The first two Pacquiao-Marquez, I didn’t pay attention. Pacquiao-Bradley, I didn’t like those fights. I like Morales; he was good. I think he was one of the greatest Mexican fighters of all time,” said Romero.
Fans love Pacquiao’s style of fighting, but it doesn’t always work for him. As we saw in Pacquiao’s losses to Erik Morales, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Tim Bradley, and Juan Marquez, he’s not infallible.