Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Round-by-Round Predictions for Superfight
Perhaps you have heard about this: We are two days away from a rather large fight involving undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. (47-0) and aggressive Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2).
The fight was years in the making and was on the table in 2009, but the fighters simply could not come together and agree to step into the ring until just a few months ago.
Both fighters have trained diligently for this matchup, and final preparations have started. While it may be impossible for the action in the ring to exceed the hype surrounding the event, this fight has a chance to be a boxing classic.
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One of the reasons Mayweather is undefeated is that he has been able to dictate the pace of nearly all of the fights he has been in. Pacquiao is going to try to prevent Money Man from doing just that.
With both fighters' talents, motivation and potential strategies in mind, we take a look at this fight on a round-by-round basis and offer a prediction.
Round 1
Pacquiao has to come out and set the pace in the first round, and a slow start from Mayweather will give him this opportunity. Mayweather will have Pacquiao figured out before the two men step in the ring, and he will use the first round to make sure all of his theories are correct. Pacquiao will move to his right, shoot out his jab and throw out his left in order to send Mayweather a message. He will throw enough punches to make Mayweather realize he is in the ring with an opponent unlike any other he has seen to this point in his career. Pacquiao wins the round in a sharp and effective manner.
Pacquiao, 10-9
Round 2
Mayweather has seen what he expected, and he comes out of his corner ready to dictate the pace in the second round. Pacquiao is right out in front of Floyd, and Money Man shoots out a straight right hand and follows up with another. Pacquiao has a lot of skills in the ring, but he is not the defensive wizard Mayweather is, and he is regularly tagged with punches. None of these punches are causing big problems for Pacquiao, but Mayweather piles up the points and is beginning to feel confident.
Mayweather, 10-9
Round 3
Mayweather steps toward his man in the center of the ring and feints with his right hand and digs a left hand into Pacquiao's body. The surprising but effective shot gets Pacquiao's attention, and he follows up with a barrage of punches. While Mayweather is able to avoid and deflect some of them, he gets hit with a couple and understands he is going to have a lot of work to do if he is going to keep his undefeated record. Pacquiao sets the pace for the rest of the round, and Mayweather resorts to clinching and holding.
Pacquiao, 10-9
Round 4
In between rounds, Floyd Mayweather Sr. is exhorting his son to take it to Pacquiao and go after him aggressively. The son remains silent throughout and looks mildly annoyed with his father as he tries to prepare. Pacquiao begins the round with a hard three-punch combination and follows that with a hard one-two combination that is reminiscent of the damage Shane Mosley did to Mayweather in the second round of their 2010 fight. It looks like Pacquiao is starting to feel quite comfortable in the ring, and he is trying to throw a number of hard punches and combinations to put Mayweather down. Mayweather avoids most of the damaging shots, and the ones that come through land on his shoulders.
Pacquiao, 10-9
Round 5
Mayweather realizes he is at a crucial point in this fight because he has given away three of the first four rounds. He comes out with some movement, and he quickly shoots out two quick lefts that get Pacquiao's attention. Mayweather follows with a hard right hand off the top of Pacquiao's head, and that gets the undefeated champion going. He spends at least half the round attacking Pacquiao with digging hooks and quick right hands. It's Mayweather's best round to this point.
Mayweather, 10-9
Round 6
Mayweather senses that he now has a chance to establish his superiority and take charge of the fight. While he is largely looked at as a defensive specialist, he is certainly capable of causing a lot of damage with a strong right hand. He does that by faking with his left hand and firing a straight right that sends Pacquiao backwards by a full step. Mayweather provides a boxing blueprint the rest of the round, and he shows off his defensive abilities. Pacquiao is having a much harder time reaching Floyd with his best punches.
Mayweather, 10-9
Round 7
There's a lot more peace in the Mayweather corner, as it appears that Money Man's command and all-around skills have allowed him to regain his footing and keep Pacquiao on the defensive. Meanwhile, Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach urges his charge to fake the right jab and come across with his left. Early in the round, Mayweather uses his left jab and straight right to dictate the pace. Suddenly, Pacquiao finds a way to get a left hook in and follows up with a hard right jab, and a straight left lands directly under Mayweather's eye. Mayweather is cut and it's fairly significant. The round ends with a feeling of shock in the arena as Mayweather is hurt, and his corner has work to do.
Pacquiao, 10-9
Round 8
While the bleeding is stopped between rounds, Mayweather does not seem to be prepared to be in the ring with a fighter who is capable of fighting back in the middle and late rounds. Usually, Mayweather's quickness and ability take over by this time, and the results seem inevitable. Not this time. Pacquiao senses his opponent is vulnerable and ready to be beaten, and he fires a trademark barrage of punches. However, after the first one lands, Mayweather's defensive skills allow him to avoid the rest of the blows. Pacquiao tries again, but he can't connect with anything solid. Mayweather, encouraged by Pacquiao's propensity for swinging and missing, starts firing and gets off his own shots.
Mayweather, 10-9
Round 9
Mayweather's playful personality is nowhere to be seen as the fight moves into its most crucial rounds. He is as serious in the ring as he has ever been, and that speaks to Pacquiao's relentless attitude. If he didn't know it before, Mayweather now knows he is in the ring with the best opponent he has ever faced. He sets the pace and stalks his man. It was expected that Pacquiao would remain aggressive, but Mayweather appears stronger at this point, and he continues to fire his hard right hand that is causing some swelling around Pacquiao's left eye. A stinging combination from Floyd sends Pac-Man to the canvas for the fight's first knockdown. He gets up quickly and smiles nervously.
Mayweather, 10-8
Round 10
Mayweather knows the fight is now in his control, and he is more than content to fight defensively in this round. That's a strange decision considering the knockdown in the previous round, but Mayweather feels all he has to do is stay away and make Manny look silly. The strategy appears to be working for most of the round, but Floyd's foot speed is not what it once was, and Pacquiao's relentless punching allows him to steal the round.
Pacquiao, 10-9
Round 11
Mayweather Sr. tells his son to come out aggressively, but the fighter averts his eyes and makes a move to cover his ears. Meanwhile, Roach is pointing out Money Man's lack of foot speed. Pacquiao comes out hard and suddenly whistles a brilliant left hook that sends Mayweather down to the canvas. It hits him square on the jaw, and while Mayweather gets up quickly, he is clearly shaken. Mayweather tries to get on his bicycle and avoid more damage, but Pacquiao comes after him with a hard one-two and follows up with another barrage of punches. Mayweather goes down again, and the cut that was opened up in Round 7 is bleeding profusely. He gets up, but there is a glassy, beaten look on his face, one that Mayweather has never displayed before. As he tries to raise his hands in his normal defensive posture, the referee steps in and declares the fight is over. There is no protest from the Mayweather corner.
Pacquiao wins by TKO.
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