Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Date, Early Keys to Victory for Highly Anticipated Bout
Finally.
There really is no other word to use when discussing the impending May 2 bout at MGM Grand in Las Vegas between Floyd Mayweather 47-0 (26 KO) and Manny Pacquiao 57-5-2 (38 KO). Their respective camps flirted with the idea of facing each other for years, and even the most casual boxing fans grew tired of the back-and-forth.
That is all behind us now.
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The two biggest names of the sport in a generation will take the ring for what promises to be one of the most anticipated events in boxing history. ESPN Stats & Info passed along the tale of the tape:
Sure, the fight should have happened years ago when both fighters were in their prime, but Dan Rafael of ESPN.com pointed out why that ultimately doesn’t matter as much now that it is actually scheduled:
“The showdown is a lock to be the richest in boxing history and will, barring a draw, settle the issue that has been debated for years: Who is the No. 1 fighter in boxing and who is the king of this era?”
Pac-Man earned a shot at the undefeated king of boxing by bouncing back from a stunning knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez with victories over Timothy Bradley, Brandon Rios and Chris Algieri. Whether he is ready for Mayweather remains to be seen, but he represents the best chance to finally put a mark in the loss column for Money.
Here is a key factor for each fighter in the May 2 bout.
Manny Pacquiao: Establish Overwhelming Control Early
Mayweather is a counterpuncher and typically waits out his opponents with stellar defense and unparalleled mid-fight adjustments.
What that means is Pacquiao has a chance to get some licks in early while Mayweather is feeling him out, especially if Pac-Man comes out with the adrenaline that would fit with this fight. Marcos Maidana actually gave Mayweather some early trouble, although he was unable to sustain any momentum in the later rounds.
Pacquiao is a constant source of motion and energy in the ring, and he needs to use that to his advantage and establish control early because Mayweather will likely win the majority of the late rounds after adjustments. The only realistic chance Pac-Man has is to build something of an insurmountable lead before Mayweather realizes what hit him.
Pacquiao could be better suited than Maidana to actually carry that lead over throughout the fight.
Floyd Mayweather: Patience
The flip side of the quick-start coin for Pac-Man is the amount of energy he will need to expend to grab that initial lead.
In all likelihood, this fight is going the distance considering Mayweather has only one stop in eight years (Victor Ortiz in 2011) and Pacquiao hasn’t knocked anyone out since 2009 (Miguel Cotto). Even if Pacquiao does win some early rounds with relentless activity and some power, it is going to cause fatigue.
Enter Mayweather’s counterpunching and adjustments. A few quick jabs could be all it takes to do the trick against a worn-out Pacquiao, especially if the fight is still close.
Even if Pacquiao does win a few of the early rounds, confidence won’t be an issue for Mayweather. Just look at Money’s pre-fight quotes, via Rafael:
"Boxing fans and sports fans around the world will witness greatness on May 2. I am the best ever, TBE, and this fight will be another opportunity to showcase my skills and do what I do best, which is win. Manny is going to try to do what 47 before him failed to do, but he won't be successful. He will be number 48.
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Many will point to Pacquiao’s loss to Marquez as something of a blueprint for Mayweather. Marquez constantly avoided Pac-Man’s powerful punches early and stayed in long enough to start establishing some effective and timely counters (one of which was overwhelming). That type of defense is exactly what Mayweather is known for, and he is better at it than Marquez.
It may be frustrating for Pacquiao supporters to watch their favorite pick up some early momentum just to lose it at the end to Mayweather’s quick jabs and counters, but that has been the formula for most of Money’s recent fights.
Pacquiao is just a higher-profile victim.
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