Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Roy Jones Jr. Sounds Warning to Pac-Man Ahead of Fight
Legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr. has warned Manny Pacquiao that Floyd Mayweather is capable of doing things now that he wasn’t a decade ago and that Pac-Man should be careful of underestimating the American's power.
The former four-weight world champion was the latest iconic figure to have his say on the hotly anticipated May 2 bout and he dismissed claims from Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach that age has taken its toll on Mayweather, per CBS Sports (h/t Edward Chaykovsky of boxingscence.com):
"The fact that he can't do things at 38 that he did at 28 makes him more dangerous. He’s always been a great puncher, but he's never had to use it because he was so much better than everyone skilfully, and he had so much athleticism that he hasn't had to depend on his punching power.
Pacquiao may think he'll be able to outwork him and not worry about (Mayweather's) power because he hasn't had to use it. Now that he's gotten older he will use his power, and that's going to be a bigger problem for Pacquiao. Because, to me, the only way for him to beat Pacquiao is to get him out of there.
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Both fighters are in the midst of their respective preparations for this showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and it’s going to be hugely intriguing to see how this fight pans out. Some detractors claim the pair are arguably past their very best, it may not live up to the hype, but as noted by Jones Jr. the experience of both could offset any deterioration in sharpness.
Indeed, Bob Canobbio of Compubox told Bleacher Report that statistics show the upcoming bout will actually be more entertaining for the scrapped fight five years ago:
Mayweather is certainly a canny operator and a fighter revered for his immaculate defensive work. His counter-punching is forensically accurate, his movement is slick and his in-ring nous makes him extremely difficult to catch with any kind of combination.
Although Jones Jr. refers to it, Floyd’s power is not typically an area that many assess as a major strength. After all, he hasn’t won a fight by knockout or a stoppage since beating Victor Ortiz with a potshot in 2011; before that his last win inside the distance came against Ricky Hatton in 2007.
As noted by Dan Rafael of ESPN after Pacquiao’s win over Chris Algieri last time out, the American doesn’t typically blow opponents away with brutish punches:
Indeed, getting the job done will be the only thing on Mayweather’s mind come May 2 and while that may not make for the best spectacle for fans, it’s a tactic that has steered the 38-year-old home to victory in 47 professional matches to date. Just because the world is watching and just because it’s Pacquiao doesn’t mean he’s going to come out swinging.
Manny will be the aggressor in this one and going off comments from himself and Roach, will be on Mayweather like a rash from the first bell. If the American can get through those opening rounds relatively unscathed and establish a foothold in the contest, perhaps then we’ll see this renewed power Jones Jr. mentions come into play.
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