Floyd Mayweather's Counterpunching Will Be Vital in Manny Pacquiao Bout
Ahead of the illustrious showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the minutiae of every possible permutation has been examined in an attempt to formulate an opinion on who has the edge. But when May 2 finally comes around, this is a bout that will hinge primarily on fundamental boxing skill, most notably, Moneyโs forensic counterpunching.
Granted, neither fighter will have ever experienced a whirlwind of hyperbolic preparation quite like this, nor has any man fought an opponent quite so fierce. These are experienced boxers, though, and as such, expect both of these great champions to take the furoreย in their stride as fight night approaches.
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Arguably, the man with the greater mental hurdles to conquer is Mayweather. After all, as the undefeated champion, he is the favourite for this contest. Throughout his distinguished career, the American has defeated 47 opponents via his bespoke style and performed with distinction under unrelenting spotlight, but heโs never faced anyone quite like Manny.
As noted by Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, Mayweather admitted himself that he must pay Pacquiao a huge deal of respect:
Regardless of expectations, the technical tools are there for Floyd to get the job done. Given the respective styles of each man, the fight pattern should see the Filipino looking to come forward and apply pressure, with Mayweather attempting to spring from his often impenetrable defensive shell.
The pound-for-pound king thinks that Manny is a fighter who will give him chances, too, per Peter Gilbert of Sky Sports:
"I fight with smarts. I've been on top for so long because every move is calculated, every move is thought out. I'm five to 10 steps ahead of my opponent.
He's a very, very reckless fighter. In the (Juan Manuel) Marquez fight (where Pacquiao was knocked out in the sixth round) he was fighting very reckless. My career would have probably not lasted this long if I was that reckless.
"
With that in mind, the Americanโs counterpunching must be at its sharpest. Pacquiao will not come forward with reckless abandon in this fight, but he will be on the front foot regularly and with intelligence. However, if Mayweather stings his opponent with a few shots in the infancy of the battle, some doubts will creep into the mind of Manny.
This is especially pertinent when you consider the Filipino was knocked out by a brutal shot from Juan Manuel Marquez while on the attack in his last defeat:
Itโs these kind of skills that have allowed Mayweather to forge a reputation as one of the finest defensive fighters of all time. Heโs wonderfully adept at luring his opponents forward, nullifying them with an array of debilitating tactics and coming to life to exploit chinks in the armoury of anyone who leaves themselves open.
England international striker Jermaine Defoe thinks that the Americanโs superior counterpunching skills will see him topple Pacquiao in the later rounds:
While succinct countering will be key for Floyd if heโs to establish an early foothold in what will surely be a tense start to the fight, other facets must complement this attribute if heโs to remain undefeated. After all, Pacquiao is unrelenting in his lateral movement and is quick enough himself to come forward and dip out before getting caught.
Indeed, as noted here by Gilbert, former heavyweight champion George Foreman thinks weโre going to need to see a little bit of offensive flair from Money:
"Pacquiao is really a pop shot artist. Itโs hard to get a counter punch in on him, it's not that easy.
Mayweather is by far a defensive genius but to win these rounds you're going to have to become an offensive fighter, too.
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In a fight that could quickly turn into a ferociously-paced encounter, Mayweather needs to get his counter-attack firing, though. Not only will a few precision punches debilitate his opponent, but after that shuddering shot Pacquiao was on the end of against Marquez, a couple of early blows could have an equally enervating effect from a psychological standpoint.
Going off the blueprint Mayweather has laid out throughout his career and the aforementioned quotes, it seems this is the kind of strategy he will look to employ once again. And when you consider the incomparable success it has brought him, why wouldnโt you? But whether itโs enough to hold off a man as intense and effervescent as Pacquiao remains to be seen.
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