PEACE: But Pacquiao would want war with Mayweather
IN another infuriating twist in the tale, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have once again failed to get together for the fight everybody else on the planet wants to see. But it got the Boxing News team thinking. What would happen if boxing?s top dogs did fight? You can read our heated debate but we want to know who you?d pick, so please post your comments below.
Danny Flexen: Mayweather-Pacquiao, who wins and why? John, do you want to kick off with something typically provocative?
John Dennen: I think Mayweather wins clearly. Obviously Pacquiao?s awesome but Mayweather is a touch bigger and Pacquiao?s hittable, for all the huge volume of punches he throws, for all his tremendous speed. Mayweather matches him for speed, is obviously a brilliant counter-puncher and I think he can just pick off Pacquiao. If [Juan Manuel] Marquez can almost, arguably beat Pacquiao, Mayweather definitely can.
DF: I?m not sure he can match him for speed. In terms of combination punching Pacquiao?s a little bit quicker and he might be a little bit quicker on his feet as well. But in terms of single shots, his handspeed is up there with Pacquiao?s. Fighting Marquez and [Shane] Mosley won?t prepare him for someone like Pacquiao stylistically. It could be a much harder fight than you think.
Matt Christie: The longer that Mayweather is fighting just once a year and looking a little bit half-hearted in his interest in boxing, the more it favours Pacquiao. Mayweather?s a couple of years older as well so there?s going to come a time, with his style, that he?s going to slow down inevitably. At this moment in time I favour Mayweather but if they leave it much longer l think you?ve got to be looking at Pacquiao?s fight.
DF: If they agree a certain weight and Mayweather comes in heavy, like he did against Marquez, that won?t help Pacquiao?s case. Everyone talks about weight, Pacquiao?s now going to be fighting Margarito at light-middleweight. So I don?t think weight?s necessarily going to be the issue. I think it will come down to tactics and intelligence. Mayweather, as a counter-puncher, will anticipate what Pacquiao?s going to do, and be able to pick him off for the most part. But itt will be his hardest fight maybe since [Jose Luis] Castillo.
MC: You can scan down both their records and it?s the sign of a super-fight when people haven?t met someone of that ilk before. [Roberto] Duran had never fought anybody like [Sugar Ray] Leonard before, Leonard had never fought anybody like Duran. I think you can compare this fight, if it ever happens, to fights like that.
DF: Stylistically the comparison?s not too bad either. Pacquiao throws more shots, Duran?s got more one-punch power [than Pacquiao] but it?s similar. Mayweather on his toes, more of a boxer.
JD: Mayweather?s a harder fighter to prepare for than I think Pacquiao will be for him. It?s harder to get people to replicate what Mayweather?s going to do.
MC: But you can get people to replicate Pacquiao?
JD: To an extent. Mayweather?s inactivity is a good point and it?s annoying for fans not getting to see him. But we know he still trains incredibly hard when he prepares. If the fight was made, Mayweather wouldn?t be lacking in desire or anything like that.
DF: They both obviously give their all in the gym. Freddie Roach thinks Pacquiao?s still improving. Mayweather?s probably peaked in terms of how good he?s going to be technically. So Pacquiao?s got more to gain in that sense. [Freddie] Roach and Pacquiao are pretty solid, they?ve been together for ages. That could be a really important factor in the fight.
MC: Mayweather got caught in the second round by Mosley. You immediately wonder if that was Pacquiao in the ring in that second round, would Mayweather have been able to get out of trouble like he did? My instinct is telling me ?No?. On the other side of the coin, his recuperative powers were pretty impressive.
DF: At welterweight Mosley?s probably got more one-punch power than Pacquiao. With Pacquiao it?s an accumulation of shots. Would Pacquiao get that single shot that would faze Mayweather enough to then jump on him? I?m not sure if he can.
PLACE YOUR BETS
DF: Now, necks on the line. John, you?ve already said who you?re favouring.
JD: Mayweather, a clear points victory.
MC: Mayweather? majority decision.
DF: I?m going to go for Mayweather, up and down fight, late stoppage.
