For All The Marbles

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao March 13, 2010

One event I am looking forward to watching unfold in 2010 is the fight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao on March 13, 2010. This will not be an average pay-per-view fight; instead the moment will elevate one of these fighters to epic proportions as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the last 10-15 years, and arguably place the winner of the match into the top 5 best boxers of all time. I can’t imagine that there is one boxing analyst or knowledgeable fight fan that would disagree with me.

I have not wanted to witness a boxing match so badly since September 18, 1999, when Oscar De La Hoya squared off against Felix Trinidad. However, my current level of anticipation far eclipses what it was back then. Regardless of the outcome neither De La Hoya nor Trinidad was destined to leave the ring being reborn as a boxing legend. That fate has been in reserve for 11 years for either Mayweather, Jr. or Pacquiao.

Styles make fights. ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd is a boxing technician, while Manny (a.k.a. Pacman) is more of a wrecking ball with blazing hand speed. Floyd’s strengths are excellent footwork, speedy counter punching, and superb defense on a level that Manny has never seen. I don’t think there has ever been a moment in Floyd’s entire boxing career that he has been in jeopardy of being knocked out. I recall past fights where Floyd quite frankly looked bored of what opponents had to offer him. Floyd’s downside is that he is a show-boater that allows fights to linger on longer then they should, which consequently provides his opponents extended opportunities. If there is a chink in Floyd’s armor, Manny is more than capable of cashing in on Floyd’s arrogant generosity.

Manny’s no nonsense approach to boxing usually dismantles challengers in a quick and brutal fashion. Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya can both attest to that statement. Both fighters were forced into retirement, after Manny chopped them up with ease like a butcher at a meat market. Unlike Mayweather, Jr., Manny is not known as a defensive specialist. Instead Pacman banks on outpunching his opponents with lethal first strikes, whereby his defense is in his offense. Both Hatton and De La Hoya were beaten up early in their matches with Pacman to the point that neither fighter ever posed a threat to Manny. In which case, who needs defense?

I am completely at odds as to who will win this upcoming match. Neither Floyd nor Manny has a clear decisive edge over the other. Mayweather, Jr. is almost a textbook-perfect boxer with absolutely no loses on his fight record. In addition, Floyd’s air-tight defense, athletic agility and effective counter punching leaves very little opportunity for opponents to get more than a single clean shoot on him at a time. On the flip side, since losing to Erik Morales on March 19, 2005, Pacquiao has done nothing but win, win, and win some more in convincing fashion. He avenged his loss to Morales by beating him twice following their first clash (first by TKO, and then by KO). Manny then proceeded to cross the following big name fighters off of his to beat list: Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto. If Floyd Mayweather, Jr. gets added to this list of fallen soldiers, Manny Pacquiao will achieve boxing immortality. Even the great Muhammad Ali would have to take a backseat to Manny’s accomplishments in the ring.

Both Floyd and Manny are going to have to come out of their comfort zones in order for either fighter to beat the other. Manny needs to step-up his technical boxing skills to be able to land one of his show stopping hooks against Floyd by patiently reading Floyd’s transitional movements, and then time his strikes to occur while Floyd’s feet are moving. Ideally, Manny should attack Floyd when he is moving backwards. When the ‘Pretty Boy’ is moving laterally, he is very difficult to punch because of his excellent upper-body agility, quick spin pivots, and great defensive hands. In contrast, Floyd needs to exhibit a willingness to bang with Manny in short controlled spurts. Manny has a tendency to hold his guards low. Floyd has more than an ample amount of hand speed to make Manny pay for not guarding his grill. Whoever most effectively adapts their style will get the win. Considering that both fighters will enter the ring having skill-sets that could potentially off-set the others, and knowing each fighter is in superb condition; this fight will go the distance, and then end in a split decision. No KO, unless either Floyd or Manny makes an untimely gross mistake, which is not likely to happen.