Manny Pacquiao currently sits atop the pound for pound list and will likely remain in the #1 spot until Floyd Mayweather decides whether he wants to be a full-time fighter or a security guard-beating
bully. However, it
could very well be that the man who finally ends the reign of Pacquiao is not among the bigger guys at 147 or 154, but is currently doing battle below, in the stacked jr. welterweight division.
It’s no secret that one of the major keys to Pacquiao’s success above lightweight is his speed…and the bigger, slower the opponent, the easier time Manny has had.
Boxing is a game of strategy and angles. Bigger doesn’t mean better and, in the case of Team Pacquiao’s opponent selection, bigger is the key. The Filipino buzzsaw, who is gifted with outstanding speed and has earned a supreme physical conditioning, has been able to parlay those strengths into a very tough out for fighters lacking in mobility, reflexes, and/or the experience to fight a smaller, quicker opponent.
But the question for Pacquiao and his fans, post- 135 lbs remains: what happens when Manny finds himself up against someone with equal or comparable speed?
When Bernard Hopkins issued his statement about African-American fighters and how their stereotypical style would be ideal to beat Pacquiao, many dismissed the legendary fighter as merely race-baiting or as towing the company line for Golden Boy Promotions. But, at the core of his statement, there is a legit point: Manny Pacquiao has never faced a slick, quick-fisted, defensively sound African-American fighter, nor has he fought anyone other than the “come straight forward and engage” type of fighter.
How would Pacquiao respond to a fighter that he had to actually go and hunt down? How would he handle someone who actually had a slick, well-formed defense? Would he have the skills or the patience to put in the kind of effort required to beat someone conditioned to stick, move, and counter all day? (Continued on Next Page)
No matter how much of a fan you are, you simply cannot give a solid, confident answer to those questions because Manny has never faced anyone with that skill set.
Floyd Mayweather is the prime example of the style Hopkins was referring to, but let’s exclude him from this debate for obvious reasons. Resting one division to the south of 147 is a packed and stacked
division of
jr. welterweights. There, you will find the fighter that will eventually end the reign of Manny Pacquiao.
The winner of the upcoming Timothy Bradley-Devon Alexander battle will be the rightful top dog at 140 and could very well be in the position to topple the best at 147.
Bradley, with his athleticism and toughness, is a fan-friendly fighter who is every bit as quick as Pacquiao and every bit as mentally tough as anyone Pacquiao has ever faced. Devon Alexander is a smooth, slick, and quick young boxer with a greater skill set than Manny. Bradley is at his physical prime; Alexander is just approaching it.
Also at 140 is the Freddie Roach-trained, Amir Khan. Despite the conflict of interest in Roach training both, at some point, if the money and the demand were too high, we could see this fight happen with, possibly, someone else in Khan’s corner. Khan is neither African nor American, but he has the style to give Pacquiao a hard time. If this fight happens down the line, expect Manny to be in against someone who is not only bigger, but also stronger and quicker than him.
The 140 lb. division is filled with speed and a whole cast of hungry characters ranging from the heavy handed, athletically gifted, Victor Ortiz to the still-talented, still-dangerous former two-division champ, Zab Judah.
Despite the misplaced emphasis on Pacquiao beating larger opponents, the true test for Manny will be in dealing with guys who can match him in speed and exceed him in technical proficiency. Sooner or later they’ll be coming for him and he’ll have to answer. Until then, everything else is a preliminary.
