“Pacquiao will definitely win. Pacquiao is just too tough and too strong. Pressure and a lot of punches just beats Floyd up.”
The legendary Mexican trainer Ignacio ?Nacho? Beristain shared with me his thoughts on The Super Fight of the Century: Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather.
The 72-year-old trainer of Mexican heroes such as Rafael and Juan Manuel Marquez, Hall of Famer Daniel Zaragoza, Humberto Gonzalez, Ricardo Lopez, revealed a surprising response regarding Pacquiao vs. Floyd.
?It?s a very good, important fight but that fight should not happen,? stated Beristain. ?Because I believe Pacquiao will beat Mayweather. You?re gonna take away the glory that has made Mayweather these past years. Mayweather?s style ? when he fights someone that pressures him and throws a lot of punches ? he just beats (Floyd) up.?
When asked if it would be an easy win for Pacquiao, Beristain answered: ?It won?t be an easy fight but Pacquiao will win the fight. Pacquiao will definitely win.?
Beristain has plenty of up-close experience of watching Pacquaio ? Beristain cornered and trained Marquez against Pacquiao and Beristain also was in the corner with Oscar De La Hoya the night he took the vicious beating from Pac-Man. ?I know very well Pacquiao,? said the Mexico City-based trainer who is regarded by as one of the great trainers of the modern era. ?I?ve seen him fight many times. He?s very good. And everybody picks Mayweather to win the fight because he wins so much against easy fighters, but Pacquiao is just too tough, too strong.?
I asked Beristain what exactly is it that makes Pacquiao so effective, so great? ?He just works too hard. His training is too hard. He works very hard.?
Does Beristain believe Pacquiao is one of the greatest gladiators in boxing history? ?I think he?s an extraordinary fighter. Out of the normal. And I believe that he?s not skilled like some of the greatest in boxing history, like Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Bernard Hopkins and Muhammad Ali. But actually right now he?s like a big, big star in America, with the glory.?
Scoop Malinowski’s books “Muhammad Ali: Portrait Of A Champion” and “Heavyweight Armageddon: The Tyson-Lewis Championship Battle” will be published and available at Amazon this month.
