Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have been so impressive recently that after each performance it’s almost impossible to imagine they can be defeated. Floyd cruises by Juan Manuel Marquez and he looks like he can’t be stopped. Many dominates Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey and we think the same about him.
After last Saturday’s win against Shane Mosley many again feel Floyd is untouchable. While comparing Mosley with Manny is wrong on many levels, let’s take a look at some of the things we can learn from Floyd’s performance and what it might mean for the superfight.
Stand Your Ground: Following Floyd’s performance against Juan Manuel Marquez during which he chose to engage mostly at center ring many wondered if Floyd had changed his style a bit, or if he was just taking advantage of a smaller man. After Saturday’s performance I’m beginning to think it was the former.
Mayweather largely stood his ground and even occasionally pressed the fight against Shane Mosley. We saw very little of the sticking, moving, and retreating Floyd that critics claimed made him a a “runner.”
Is Mayweather still capable of fighting off the back foot? I think so, but he doesn’t seem quite so inclined to do so. Manny sometimes get frustrated when opponents refuse to engage, as Miguel Cotto did in the latter part of their fight. While Mayweather is exceptionally dangerous when fighting in the pocket, I think Manny would prefer this Mayweather to the expert mover of previous fights.
Floyd’s Going To Land, Hard: I don’t think even the staunchest Pacquiao fan believed their man would be able to avoid eating some shots, but Saturday reaffirmed Mayweather’s brilliant offensive accuracy. Mayweather threw punches with real power and was able to unsettle and discourage Mosley with these shots; quite impressive, considering Shane has been in with some of the biggest punchers in the sport over his long career.
Manny walked through some clean blows from Joshua Clottey and was never discouraged, but Clottey waits untill you stop punching. Floyd punches when you punch and Manny will have to deal with that threat every time he lets his hands go. No one doubts Manny’s bravery, toughness, or chin, but he’ll need all three in a fight with Floyd. Mayweather doesn’t punch often, but he makes them count, Manny will have to keep firing through the pain.
Floyd Can Be Hurt, But He Can Recover: Mayweather was hurt like we have never seen him before on Saturday night. Shane Mosley landed three clean right hands on Mayweather and Floyd’s legs were absolutely gone.
Mosley is a terrific puncher and these were great shots, but I think it’s fair to say that Mayweather has a good, but still human chin. Mayweather isn’t capable of taking fifty of those shots, as Margarito did against Mosley, but he is clearly capable of recovering quickly and keeping his wits when in danger.
I would say Mosley and Pacquiao’s power is comparable, and with Pacquiao’s awkward style I think it’s clear he would be able to stun Mayweather with a single shot. However, anyone who thought Floyd would withdraw into a shell and give up when hurt and pressured learned something about the man on Saturday. He’s a thinker, and a competitor. He will adjust, so if Manny comes in thinking he will simply be able to overpower and KO Mayweather when he is hurt he will be in for a rude awakening.
Floyd Is Always Ready: In Floyd’s most recent fights against Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley his opposition seemed a little overwhelmed and stressed before stepping into the ring. Even for these experienced champions the moment got to them. Joshua Clottey seemed similarly impacted in his fight against Pacquiao; captured in the moment.
We all know that boxing is perhaps the most mentally taxing sport in the world. Floyd, once again, showed that he is capable of handling big pressure. Manny Pacquiao has shown a similar ability. This may seem inconsequential, but many great fighters have suffered from anxiety before their biggest fights. Mayweather and Pacquiao seem uniquely capable of dealing with the pressured moments.
Mayweather Adjusts: It’s nothing knew, but we again saw Mayweather’s ability to think clearly and make timely adjustments. On Saturday Floyd had some trouble with Mosley’s jab opening him up for right hands. Mayweather responded by throwing hard pull-counters in order to make Mosley hesitate. Mosley was unable to adjust.
It’s possible to have a round or two of success against Floyd, but you’re not going to be able to beat him with only one strategy. Pacquiao may not be as much of a thinker as Floyd, but with Freddie Roach at his side and his newfound boxing ability Manny is no longer one-dimensional. He’ll need to show every dimension his has to counter Floyd’s adjustments.
Ultimately, this fight doesn’t tell us all that much about Pacquiao-Mayweather. Pacquiao is a southpaw and his style is impossible to replicate. And no one matches Floyd’s combination of physical gifts and technical proficiency.
To me it reaffirmed the fact that Manny and Floyd are the only fighters below 147 pounds capable of testing the other (I don’t consider Paul Williams a welterweight, and frankly don’t think he’d be much of a test anyway). Each will have their opportunities and their advantages. Each will need to make adjustments to win.
They just have to come together and make it happen.
