Manny Pacquiao: Analyzing Pac-Man's Lethal and Speedy Fists

Manny Pacquiao's speed has carried him to the top of the boxing world.

He is walking a tight rope, because speed is almost always the first skill to go in an athlete. Yet here Pacquiao is, at 33 years old, stronger and faster than ever before. He is a physical marvel who can seemingly do no wrong when he steps into the ring. 

It has been a long, strange journey for Pacquiao to get to this point. When his career first started, he was an incredibly small, skinny fighter who showed good speed with some power for a 105-pound fighter. 

That is a far cry from the world champion in six different weight classes that he would become, which is a testament to the work and dedication that he has put in to perfecting his craft. 

Here is a look at a few keys to what makes Pacquiao's fists so special. 

Speed

We talked about it already, but there it is impossible to measure just how great the speed in his hands and wrists is, and how critical it is to the success that Pacquiao has had throughout his career. 

Since Pacquiao has always been a smaller fighter, he needs something that gives him an edge against bigger, stronger opponents. That speed has been the great equalizer for years. He has not lost a fight since 2005 against Erik Morales, and that was largely due to a cut Pacquiao suffered due to an inadvertent headbutt. 

Watching him move in and out, peppering his opponent with jabs for 12 rounds is amazing. Pacquiao has the speed to make life miserable for anyone he gets in the ring with, and he has used it to build one of the most successful boxing careers in history. 

Power

Pacquiao is not a big fighter. His body is naturally small, so he has to generate his power from using his lower half and being able to strike opponents at will. 

It is a dangerous strategy for anyone to use. Having power is essential to a fighter being able to succeed long-term in the sport of boxing.

Since Pacquiao doesn't have traditional power, he has to manufacture it somehow. The best way to do it is utilizing that speed and quickness to wear an opponent down. 

While not a knockout artist, Pacquiao has been able to rack up his share of knockouts (38 in 54 career wins) because he has such incredible hand speed. 

Conclusion

One of the things that makes Pacquiao so captivating is how unique he is. Unlike, say, a Floyd Mayweather, who is as physically gifted as any fighter in the sport, Pacquiao has built his career on taking chances by moving up in weight class.

He was able to get away with those risks because he knew that he had such incredible speed in his hands and wrists. 

Timothy Bradley will have the pleasure (or misfortune) of dealing with Pacquiao and his hands on June 9. When you are watching that fight, just take a minute to appreciate the unique physical gifts that Pacquiao has, because they won't be around that much longer. 

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