It has finally happened: The fight the people had been clamoring for the last five years is finally on. The Mayweather vs Pacquiao match is set for May 2, 2015 and everybody is waiting for it.
In one corner, you have the abrasive Floyd Mayweather — supremely confident both in and out of the ring. He’s called the Money Man for a reason. He seems bigger than life with his high-profile lifestyle. You might have expected that his scrapes with the law would have made him less bankable but it just made him notoriously famous.
On the other side, you have the always humble Manny Pacquiao: a true success story. Here is a man that has risen from the streets of General Santos City of the Philippines to take the boxing world by storm. He is a symbol of hope and inspiration to countless Filipinos worldwide. With his ready smile and friendly nature, he has endeared himself in the hearts of his fans. He is so beloved by the Filipinos that the crime rate in the Philippines drops when he fights.
Another interesting comparison between the two is their fighting styles. Mayweather is known for being a slick fighter. With his shoulder roll defense and upper body movement, it is very hard to place leather on him. Mayweather is not the busiest of boxers but don’t mistake that as a flaw. He is just more calculated when he throws. He will wait for the perfect opportunity to hit and when he does, he rarely misses. Granted, he is a bit older now and not as fast as before, yet he is still a force to be reckoned with.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, throws so many punches that even if he misses the first three, the next four will land. The term “punches in bunches” perfectly describes his punch output.
Pacquiao’s fighting style has changed a bit in recent years. No longer is he knocking out people with single shots like when he fought Juan Manuel Marquez the first time and when he knocked out cold the Hitman Ricky Hatton. Rather than going for the haymaker, he will drown his opponents with punch volume. His quick step-in and step-out style is ideal when dealing with brawlers and fighters so it will be interesting to see how will he adjust to Mayweather’s defensive work.
Pacquiao definitely would have to work on getting Mayweather in a corner or at least to cut him off the ring if he wants to have any chance in beating the Grand Rapids native. If Mayweather decides to get on his bicycle, experts predict that this will go the full 12 rounds and it would be to Mayweather’s benefit. Pacquaio’s fight with Juan Miguel Marquez has proven that a well-timed counter could drop the Pac Man.
As for Pacquiao, Mayweather has a history of having difficulties fighting southpaws. Pacquiao needs to step in close and not allow the Money Man to dictate the pace of the fight. It might be to his advantage to work on body shots early on in the fight to slow down Mayweather then start drilling him with bombs every time he stops.
The Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight is set to be an intriguing, exciting one and a lot of people are betting that Pacquaio will come out on top.
