Welterweight boxer Paulie Malignaggi explained to me in detail why he believes Manny Pacquiao is a major threat to defeat Floyd Mayweather:
?Ever since I watch Floyd Mayweather, he gives you a defense where he locks up. And a lot of that time ? obviously it works for Floyd ? Floyd is very hard to hit regardless of the fact. But I always felt that somebody with fast hands, that throws punches in bunches and throws them in flurries, might not land on Floyd ? because he locks up so well ? he has the ability to leave Floyd there. And what I mean by that is, move your hands, step out, you leave him there. Throw punches, step out, before you know it, Floyd, if he?s giving you all this (Paulie motions Floyd?s defensive moves), he never gets the chance to get back off. Because you?re in and out. And that costs you rounds.?
?Through the course of Mayweather?s career, he?s always been faster than most of his opponents. But the fast guys that he did fight did show glimpses of it. Oscar showed glimpses of that. Zab Judah showed glimpses of that. You can do that to Floyd. The problem is, you will very rarely hit him clean. So I think these guys get frustrated and get away from that. But in the meantime what they don?t realize is that they?re probably winning rounds because Floyd is not getting off. Manny Pacquiao doesn?t have to change anything about himself. He fights that way naturally.?
?So I can see that being a problem for Floyd, especially as he gets older. So how will Floyd counteract that? Floyd is always so good at pulling the trigger on time. When you want to get off, he pot-shots you. Before you know it, Pacquiao can?t get off any more. He?s gunshy because he?s running into shots. Floyd has the ability to pull the trigger on time.?
?The reason I see Pacquiao as a threat is because being able to pull the trigger in that split-second time is the first thing you lose as you get older.?
