Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao has been known for his speed and power inside the ring but boxing analysts and longtime supporters say that it would be better for Pacquiao to capitalize more on his speed than on his power punches. These observations were validated in his dominating performance over Brandon Rios last Nov. 24 in Macau, China, where he launched a successful ring return following his two straight losses last year. In facing the younger Rios for his comeback fight after a long absence from the ring, Pacquiao relied more on his speed to accumulate more points for an easy win. He was hitting Rios consistently, earning the needed points and barely throwing killer punches for a knockout win. His strategy which was hatched by his longtime mentor Freddie Roach paid off, thereby ensuring his a unanimous decision win against Rios. Boxing observers say few fighters in the welterweight division can beat Pacquiao’s speed in the ring. This was confirmed by most of his sparring partners and acknowledged by some of his past opponents, including Timothy Bradley, who snatched his WBO welterweight title via a highly controversial decision two years ago.
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Pacquiao admitted he relied more on his hand and foot speed in beating Rios though he was seen throwing few power punches to keep Rios off-balanced. ?I was very happy with my performance against Brandon Rios. Speed has always been a major weapon for me and I used it throughout the fight against Rios for one simple reason ? it was working,” Pacquiao said. “The power is still there and I used it effectively against Rios to keep him off balance. Freddie and I came up with the game plan to mix things up against Rios. I would utilize my speed and foot movement in boxing him to keep him off balance then when he would come in out of frustration I would land the power punches,” he added. Although Roach has been angling for a knockout win in his upcoming rematch with Bradley, he may ask Pacquiao to find his target using his hand and foot speed to be able to lead on points in the early rounds.
wikipedia Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley I Like this image If an order will be made for Pacquiao to land power shots, it would likely come in the later rounds when Bradley is more vulnerable. But even if Pacquiao fails to land a knockout punch as Bradley also moves faster than most fighters in his division, Pacquiao will already be ahead on points in the judges’ scorecards. A win by Pacquiao using the strategy he applied against Rios during their fight in China, would still be a welcome news for Pacquiao fans as he would be the first fighter to defeat Bradley. Still, a knockout win will not only please his millions of fans around the world, but it could also put him once more on top of the Ring’s pound-for-pound ranking, not to mention a possible collision with potential opponent and current pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Pacquiao and Bradley will face each other in a rematch on April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
