Why Manny Pacquiao's Knockout Drought Is Nothing to Worry About
When you’re huddled around the fire with your grandkids someday telling them stories about Manny Pacquiao, chances are you’ll describe him at the peak of his career rather than how he'll look against Chris Algieri on Saturday night.
This is what we do with great fighters. No one celebrates the Muhammad Ali who was dominated and stopped by Larry Holmes in 1980 or the Ray Leonard who was taken out in five rounds by Hector Camacho in 1997.
If boxing is a religion, then its greatest fighters are its saints. And these saints remain in the most glorious states of their careers for all eternity within the confines of our imaginations.
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That version of Pacquiao is gone forever, but it doesn't necessarily mean he's no longer elite.
At his very best, Pacquiao was an unstoppable wrecking ball of aggression, a knockout machine. He was a stylistic nightmare for opponents, a fighter with otherworldly speed, tremendous power in both hands and a southpaw’s knack for making an opponent unsure of himself because everything he sees in the ring is backwards.
Amazingly enough, the relatively diminutive firecracker somehow became more formidable as he moved up in weight. From 2008 to 2009, Pacquiao ran roughshod over lightweight David Diaz, junior welterweight Ricky Hatton and welterweights Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto.
All four fights were knockout wins, the most perfect of them being his two-round demolition of Hatton in May 2009:
But Pacquiao’s knockout streak ended when he faced Joshua Clottey in March 2010. He’s gone 6-2 from then to present—though it’s arguable he really should be considered 7-1 since most folks thought he deserved the nod over Timothy Bradley in their first fight.
In fact, the last knockout Pacquiao was even involved in was his knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in December 2012.
It was the fourth bout of their epic rivalry. Pacquiao appeared to be on his way to overcoming an early knockdown and possibly stopping Marquez himself when the brave Mexican stood his ground and landed a perfect counterpunch to end things in Round 6:
To his astounding credit, Pacquiao has rebounded from that devastating moment unlike few fighters in history. He popped up to his feet just minutes after laying on the blue mat unconscious to explain what happened to HBO’s Max Kellerman.
“That’s boxing,” said Pacquiao with a sly smile, explaining in just a few words what every fighter knows: Anything can happen inside the ring.
Yes, that’s boxing. But boxing is another thing, too, and it’s something Pacquiao has displayed in his two fights since. Boxing is the ability to adjust to the moment as it unfolds—both to the opponent and to the fighter himself.
Like all great fighters, Pacquiao was already adept at the former. But he’s focused on the latter as of late, too.
Pacquiao is adjusting to the older version of himself as well as any fighter in history.
Over the course of his last two fights, Pacquiao has displayed 24 rounds of world-class boxing skill. Gone are the days of reckless aggression for its own sake. At age 35, Pacquiao is smart and patient. He works behind a quick jab and knows his hands and feet are faster than those of just about every opponent he faces.
It’s possible that he’s a better fighter now than he’s ever been before. Erik Morales, who fought Pacquiao three times during his career, told ESPN.com he sees a different fighter than the one he defeated in 2005 and lost rematches to in 2006.
"Every boxer changes as they get older. Some become more aggressive and some more cautious. Pacquiao is a more complete fighter now than when I fought him," he said. "He seems more patient and more intelligent in the ring."
Pacquiao’s first fight back after suffering the knockout loss to Marquez was against Brandon Rios in November 2013. Rios is a solid and tough professional, but against someone with the elite speed and skill of Pacquiao, he’s a heavy bag with arms so long as Pacquiao doesn’t foolishly offer him any openings.
Pacquiao didn’t.
Bradley was tougher work. After the controversial loss to Bradley in 2012, the bout that preceded the Marquez debacle, Pacquiao met Bradley again in April 2014.
Bradley is no man’s heavy bag. He’s a top-five pound-for-pounder with a sharp skill set and overabundance of gumption. Bradley is a grinder. He isn’t great at any one thing but really good at all of them.
However, Pacquiao easily defeated Bradley by using the augmented style that will carry him through the rest of his years as a professional prizefighter. He kept his distance from Bradley, steering clear of wading in too close like he did versus Marquez. He used his jab as a range-finder.
Whenever he saw Bradley was too close to remain at the end of his jab, Pacquiao would take a step back to reestablish his position.
Pacquiao doesn’t throw punches with the same force as he once did, at least in the volume he once threw them at. It doesn’t appear to be because he is incapable. His recent opponents seem just as wary of Pacquiao’s power than ever.
He can still hurt people.
But Pacquiao doesn’t need to throw punches like that to win fights. His talent, speed and ability give him the opportunity to win more rounds against any fighter in the welterweight and junior welterweight divisions over the course of a fight.
Moreover, Pacquiao’s calmed approach has left him in less danger than the brilliantly beautiful version of Pacquiao that was the division’s monster in 2009.
Pac-Man's change in style wasn't just a smart move necessitated by a knockout loss, but a forward-thinking strategy to keep him among the elite fighters in the sport for as long as possible.
No, you probably won’t be telling your grandkids of the 35-year-old Pacquiao who outboxed other elite fighters over the course of 12-round fights from a distance.
But you probably won’t be telling them that guy lost any of those fights either.
Kelsey McCarson is a boxing writer for Bleacher Report and The Sweet Science.
In December, he’s sparring undefeated junior middleweight Jermell Charlo in an effort to raise money for Corbin Glasscock, a six-year-old recently diagnosed with bone cancer. You can help Corbin by contributing to his medical fund: www.GoFundMe.com/TeamCorbin.
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