Don't get it twisted, I wouldn't write an article just to spite anybody or somebody like Floyd Mayweather Jr. Floyd is one of the greatest defensive boxers the sport has ever seen and all props in the world definitely go out to him for all of his accomplishments inside the ring.
I like Floyd. It's just that I like Manny Pacquiao a whole lot more.
With Pacquiao, what's there not to like? Am I really a hater for considering one fighter better than the other? I'm just calling it how I see it, and what I saw last weekend was the same things I've seen in the past that made me believe Pacquiao will lay Floyd's butt on the canvas.
I actually picked Floyd to beat Marquez more convincingly. If Floyd really wanted to end the fight, he easily could've as early as round 3. That isn't Floyd's style however. Floyd is so technical and careful that he tries to eliminate every chance of defeat. He loves reading his opponents and to a certain degree, boxing is more cerebral to him than physical combat. It's like he's playing Red Alert 2 on PS3 while his opponents are playing Fight Night Round 4; like playing chess while the rest play bloody knuckles. I'm sorry if my analogies and references sound foreign to you but the point being is that Floyd is a defensive fighter. He is a practitioner of the sweet science. He is more of an artist inside the boxing ring than a fighter. He is what he is and he will never change nor can he at this point in his career. It's not that there's something wrong with that, but against Manny Pacquiao, it won't be enough.
Styles make fights.
Floyd has also been very wise in selecting his opponents. I am not going to sit here and take away anything from Floyd's victories by belittling his opponents. What I am telling you however is that Floyd has not faced a southpaw as quick, powerful, unpredictable, relentless and has that one punch game-ending weapon like Manny Pacquiao.
Listen, as slow as Marquez was Saturday night, he was able to get to Floyd and tag him with some clean shots. Unfortunately, Marquez never really had that one punch knockout power that Pacquiao has. And the Pacquiao that Marquez gave fits was a smaller version of the monster that Pacquiao is right now. Think about it as the H3 and the Pacquiao you have now is the original Hummer. And Floyd reads combinations especially textbook type of patterns like an open book the way Marquez does it. He's seen it all before. Pacquiao however wrote his own book.
That's why a lot of traditional boxing analyst types like Max Kellerman and Emanuel Steward don't really give Pacquiao full respect because to them, his fighting style lacks substance. They consider him wild when I see him as unpredictable. They feel he lacks craft when I see him has innovative. Just like old-school teachers who preach fundamentals, form and structure, they prefer those who have followed the script and refined their craft to perfection. Understand this, Pacquiao, as small as he is and as much as self-absorbed boxing experts like Floyd Mayweather Sr. say he lacks skills, he would not get to the top of Boxing's mountain if he isn't special.
You can't help it. It's a matter of opinion. They have theirs, I have mine. It's just a matter of which one sticks. Like what people say about opinions- they're like anuses, everyone has one and they stink. Some people are stuck up, some are plain clueless and there are those who think fresh. That's why there's different types of trainers that work with different types of fighters. Last time I checked, Pacquiao had the best trainer in the business. His last name is Roach, not Steward nor Mayweather.
I don't know how many of my readers are old enough and follow basketball as closely as I do but back in the day, when Michael Jordan barely started his career, a lot of people were knocking his style of play as well. Some said he was too flashy. Some said he lacked fundamentals and went away from the team concept too much. They said he don't pass, he can't shoot the 3, he don't play defense, he can't get past the Pistons etc. etc. etc. Where are those haters now? They've said the same things about Pacquiao. They said he didn't have no defense, he is a one handed puncher, he only fights forward and can't counter, he's too small, he's dumb, he can't beat Marquez etc. etc. etc. Consider it like an artist ahead of his time similar to the Van Goghs, Basquiats and Andy Warhols. Some people simply won't and can't get him. He's different.
Where as Mayweather stayed at a steady level of greatness, Pacquiao has always constantly gotten better. Mayweather is great, but Pacquiao is one of a kind. He has definitely surpassed him and when they do get in the ring, trust me, Pacquiao will not only be the first man to beat Mayweather, but by the time he is done with Floyd, Floyd Sr. will not only accuse Pacquiao of taking steroids, he'd also say Pacquiao possesses super human strength because he is a mutant.
Check back tomorrow as I dive in further detail on why I think Pacquiao will beat Floyd. The only chance of Floyd not losing to Pacquiao is to literally and figuratively not fight- meaning if he runs all night or plain and simply avoid taking a Pacquiao fight.
The real problem isn't Pacquiao beating Floyd, it's how this fight would ever happen. You already know Mayweather won't go down in weight. You already know both fighters want the larger share of the pot. You already know how much Bob Arum and Floyd Mayweather Jr. hates each other. And as much as we talk about Floyd, Pacquiao's opponent Miguel Cotto on November to me is a much more serious threat.
