At last, on Saturday, May 2, 2015, all of the “Manny-Money” talk will finally be put to rest. This generation’s “Fight of the Century” will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
So much is riding on this fight–including, but not limited to each fighters legacy and current pound-for-pound status.
Before the historic matchup takes place, RBRBoxing’s Lou Catalano and Brandon Glass go head-to-head, breaking down two keys to victory for each man.
Read on for the head-to-head breakdown and let us know what your keys to victory are and who you think will win.
http://www.wedgies.com/question/54fe398e55b2f50e00011f41
Key #1 for Floyd Mayweather
Work the Straight Right to the Body
and Build the Offense
Photo by USA TODAY
By Brandon Glass
In the staff prediction, I said that Floyd Mayweather’s jab to the body was the key. I am going to slightly back track here. As we all know southpaws are susceptible to right hands and Manny Pacquiao has never seen a right he didn’t eat from an orthodox opponent. Thus, Mayweather should employ his patented straight right to the body, first.
Mayweather has a significant reach advantage and throwing lead straight rights to the body will be the fundamental punch of his offense. He throws harder to the body – a softer target – more so than the head because of his past issues with his hands. That will allow him to do many things, but its subtlety is what makes this punch dangerous for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao is known for endurance, as he throws punches at the same rate in late rounds that he does after the first bell. Mayweather, who looks to dominate the late rounds, will use this straight right to the body to wear Pacquiao down and frustrate his offense. Mayweather is no Gennady Golovkin, but round after round of getting your guts pushed in will wear anyone out and disrupt their focus. Just imagine poking yourself with a needle in the same spot sporadically for 46 minutes.
The lead right to the body will allow Mayweather to fend off Pacquiao’s dashing attack and to score during any gaps in activity while Pacquiao is pondering how to adjust his attack. It is inevitable, Pacquiao will get inside eventually to avoid being on the end of that straight right to the body. This is why Mayweather’s underrated body attack is so important.
Everyone knows Mayweather’s signature punch is the lead right to the head and his opponents avoid that all costs. Even Pacquiao, whose defense is at times nonexistent, knows to avoid this punch. However, if he keeps Pacquiao focused on the lead right to the body, Mayweather will be able to take the straight right upstairs and then open up his arsenal and attack with a variety of punches, depending on how Pacquiao adjusts his attack. At that point I’d expect we see two punches from Mayweather we don’t see too often; his check (left) hook and the uppercut.
As we get to the later rounds if Mayweather is able to build his offense off the straight right to the body, this will lead to frustration, fatigue and possibly the ever evasive knockout of his rival. If the knockout doesn’t come; at least it will be a combination of the first two and a Mayweather victory.
Key #1 for Manny Pacquiao
Use the Right Hook
Photo by Chris Hyde
By Lou Catalano
While Floyd Mayweather can throw hooks and crosses with precision, his most effective punches are the jab to the face, the jab to the body, and that nasty straight right hand.
He throws these shots way more often than anything else, and that’s something Manny Pacquiao can use in his favor. Floyd uses the jab to the body to force his opponent to drop his hands, allowing for a wide open target for the right.
If Manny can time Mayweather like Zab Judah did, Floyd will be vulnerable to that southpaw right hook. And “Manilla Ice” is a lethal fucking punch.
If Pacquiao can land this shot successfully a couple of times, not only might he possibly score a knockdown, it will take away one of Mayweather’s most effective weapons. That doesn’t seal the deal for Pacquiao, because Mayweather does just about everything brilliantly, but it sure as hell is a good start.
Key #2 for Floyd Mayweather
Ring Generalship and Footwork
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
By Brandon Glass
Ring generalship another key factor to how this fight plays out for Mayweather. Recently, he’s been getting hit at a higher percentage more so than any other time in his career. Floyd’s goals stylistically, have usually been about keeping aggressive opponents in the middle of the ring. In four of his last five fights, two against the same opponent, he seems to have some issues doing so. Many think it’s a sign of his age. Mayweather declares it a response to fans ongoing criticism of how he defeats his opponents, by running.
Against Cotto and in the first Maidana fight, Mayweather claims that he was standing front and center for “the fans enjoyment”. Those fights led to closer scores on the scorecards and higher connect percentage against his opponents, something that is abnormal for the self-proclaimed TBE.
Against Guerrero, Canelo, and in the Maidana rematch; Floyd used his legs keeping both opponents in the middle of the ring (for the most part with Maidana) and dominating them both on the cards. In the Maidana rematch, Mayweather had success but couldn’t sustain keeping “El Chino” in the middle of the ring like we’re used to seeing. Maidana is not the caliber of opponent that fans would expect Mayweather to struggle with as he did in the early rounds of their first matchup. Or, he’s not caliber of opponent that shouldn’t have been even easier to dismantle the second go around.
Facing Pacquiao, the fighter who many believe holds the ability to knock him off of boxing’s mountaintop, it would be best for Mayweather to get up on the balls of his feet like it’s 2007 again. Pacquiao’s most dangerous asset is the punching power he displayed at 140 pounds and below. His hand speed is complimentary to this punching power and the angles that Pacquiao presents may poke holes in the patented shoulder roll technique Mayweather has mastered.
Even if not for fear of get caught with a clean shot, the work rate Pacquiao puts up is favorable to judges and public opinion; even when the punches don’t land cleanly. This is the most important reason why it would behoove Mayweather to avoid sitting on the ropes and shoulder rolling the impeding flurry of punches from the Filipino congressman. Its aggressive nature has a purely cosmetic benefit, irrespective of its efficiency.
Mayweather has to use great footwork and lateral movement to keep Pacquiao in the center of the ring and exploit the openings presented when Manny dashes in (or out). Pacquiao’s balance and defense have always been average at best; those calves, that power, and his athleticism allow him offensively what the average fighter can’t.
Footwork will help Floyd frustrate Pacquiao, avoid Pacquiao’s right hook (which is a punch that I believe will have significant weight in this fight), and have Manny in situations where he’s overextending his punches, leading to even easier counters for Floyd.
Key #2 for Manny Pacquiao
Be Unpredictable
Photo by Naoki Fukada
By Lou Catalano
I’ve always felt that the only way to beat Floyd Mayweather was to give him a few different strategies to gameplan for. Mayweather generally takes a round or two to figure things out, and then starts using your best assets against you.
If Manny Pacquiao can give him several different looks, not unlike an NFL offense usual multiple formations, it will be way more difficult for “Money” to settle in and start rolling. Now, this is not very easy to do. Still, if Pac can start patiently, it might make for a boring start, but it could throw Floyd off a bit.
He’s certainly expecting Pacquiao to come out guns blazing. If he starts at a more measured pace, using his movement and angles, he may be able to win some rounds before finally jumping out of the gates.
This has always been an uphill fight for Pacquiao, who will be giving up size and reach advantages while taking on one of the best defensive fighters who has ever laced ’em up.
But Pacquiao is not just another fighter. He’s special, which is why this fight will shatter pay-per-view records and has casual fans and asshole news outlets talking about it even though they’re clueless.
Pacquiao needs to avoid the traps Mayweather will set, and to do that, he’ll have to confuse a man who’s rarely been befuddled. Hopefully he can do it, at least for awhile, simply so we can enjoy an entertaining bout instead of a 12-round snoozer.
http://www.wedgies.com/question/54fe398e55b2f50e00011f41
Header photo by Esther Lin
