3 Things Floyd Mayweather Will Have to Do to Knock out Manny Pacquiao
As the hype and hunger for this fight continues to grow, let's will take a look at what Floyd Mayweather would have to do in order to defeat the seemingly invincible Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao.
Whether or not this fight is something that will materialize in the near future remains to be seen, as a continued circle of debate and controversy ensues over Mayweather apparently "ducking" the fight and Pacquiao refusing to take a blood test.
Whatever the outcome though, let’s take a look at three vital elements "The Money" would have to incorporate into his game if he is going to silence all of his doubters and critics by defeating Pacquiao...
1. Movement
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Something that isn’t too alien to Floyd Mayweather is movement, but he will need the movement of a botfly if he is going to evade Pacquiao’s lightning fast hands.
We are already aware that Mayweather has the ability to bob, weave, dodge and slip with the best of them, but the bar simply has to be raised against potentially the greatest pound-for-pound boxer around.
Something Mayweather’s coaching staff will be cautious of is his tendency and habit to utilize a very low guard, predominantly relying on his evasive movements to prevent getting hit. Against Manny though, Mayweather’s hands should be a lot higher than usual and a lot more alert too. I certainly wouldn’t expect to see "The Money" getting involved in an all out slug-fest in the centre of the ring; he will most likely be seen dancing around, constantly moving in order to bide his time and pick his spots effectively.
Plus, a moving target is harder to hit, right?
2. Fast Combinations
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Yet another thing Mayweather possesses is fast hands. If he begins the fight slowly by working around Pacquiao and figuring out his intentions, then at the first window of opportunity hits Pacquiao with some fast combinations,—jab sequences or hooks and jabs—it might serve to stun the Filipino and disorientate him a little bit.
Mayweather would be looking to take Pacquiao into deep waters—somewhere he has never been before and somewhere he doesn’t quite know how to escape. That place involves Pacquiao being blinded by a number of accurate and powerful shots.
I know this is easier said than done, but I truly believe Mayweather has the ability and capacity to pick Pacquiao off in such a tactical way.
3. Stay Composed
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The last major thing Mayweather would have to to do is stay cool, calm and collected when under pressure from Pacman.
The last thing he wants to do is get wild with his swings, leaving himself open and vulnerable. If Mayweather does let this happen, then it’s game over. Pacquiao is too quick and too intelligent to let opportunities of such types slip, so Mayweather needs to keep his game-plan tight, focusing on moving around the ring, throwing carefully-considered punches and avoiding being cornered at all times.
If Mayweather can keep a consistent number of rounds going where his movement and combinations frustrate Pacquiao, the odds may swing in the balance of "The Money." Pacquiao may become slightly more desperate in later rounds if he feels he is behind on the scorecards, which would then give Mayweather the opportunity to deliver a perfect right hook as a counter to any of Pacquiao’s wild, last-ditch attempts at a knockout.
Overall then, Mayweather does hold all of the cards required to defeat the Pacman, but the most important and key element in doing so relies on how Mayweather plays his cards on fight night.
Either way, it would be a sensational bout between two great boxers at the top of their game.
As always, thanks for reading!
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