Manny Pacquiao's Guide to Escaping a Loss to Floyd Mayweather

Manny Pacquiao, like a lot of fighters, is talking confidently as he prepares to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. when the two men step in the ring at MGM Grand in Las Vegas Saturday night.

He almost certainly has more going for him than any other fighter who has been in the ring with Mayweather (47-0). There is little doubt that Pacquiao (57-5-2) and his trainer, Freddie Roach, have the ability to work up an excellent game plan that should be able to cause problems for the undefeated champion.

But there certainly are a number of pitfalls that could easily trip up Pacquiao in this fight. Mayweather may be best known for his defensive skills and his ability to avoid punishment, but he is by no means a one-dimensional fighter.

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He is perhaps the best ring general since Sugar Ray Leonard was at his peak. Mayweather has always shown that he can get his opponent to fight his way and at his pace, and that's the mark of an expert boxer who has command of his craft.

Specifically, Pacquiao has to pay particular attention to Mayweather's dangerous right hand. Mayweather simply has remarkable hand speed for a 38-year-old fighter. While his footwork may have slowed in the last two years, there is no discernible difference in his hand speed in any of his recent fights.

Mayweather's ability to fire his straight right without any notice could cause big problems for Pacquiao. Juan Manuel Marquez may have knocked out Pacquiao with a hard left in the sixth round in their 2012 fight, but he knocked him down with a straight overhand right in the third round in that fight.

Pacquiao had a chance to see that punch coming. But he could not avoid it, and it got him high on the head and put him down hard. While Mayweather may not be able to load up and punch as powerfully as Marquez, he can get that shot off with greater quickness. That right-hand punch could be a difference-maker as the fight moves along because he may be able to land it fairly regularly.

Another issue for Pacquiao may be his overall defense. Pac-Man is such an aggressive fighter that he has regularly been able to take one or two shots so he could deliver a barrage of punches. He will almost certainly employ that philosophy against Money, but it could be an issue.

If Pacquiao normally gets hit one or two times before landing his barrage against most of his opponents, that could turn into two or three punches from Mayweather. There's a big difference between absorbing one punch and getting hit three times.

Pacquiao's defensive skills are not comparable to Mayweather's, but he's going to have to be at his best in this fight. He is going to have to avoid more punches than he usually does, and he is going to have to block more punches with his arms if he hopes to frustrate Mayweather.

Finally, Pacquiao cannot get reckless. While it's unlikely he would ever walk into a knockout punch the way he did against Marquez, he could be hit with a barrage if he gets careless.

For example, Pacquiao is almost certainly going to be successful with a number of flurries against Mayweather. He may even hurt Money at one or two points. But he cannot mistake an opponent who has been hurt with one who is no longer dangerous.

That's what he did when Marquez knocked him out. After knocking Marquez down in the fifth round and having most of the best of it through nearly all of the sixth round, Pacquiao went after his man as if Marquez was no longer capable of hurting him. He found out with great suddenness that was clearly not the case.

Pacquiao lost his respect for his opponent's power and paid a stiff price. Mayweather is a different type of opponent who brings a stellar record and a knack for winning. Pacquiao cannot afford to take anything for granted at any point even if he feels he has gained an advantage.

Pacquiao is a worthy opponent for Mayweather, and he has an excellent chance to push him like no other opponent. If he can protect himself from Mayweather's dangerous right hand, improve his overall defense and maintain respect for his opponent's weapons at all times, he will have a good chance to come away with a victory in the sport of boxing's most memorable bout in years.