Ahead of Manny Pacquiao's super fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., casual fans may be studying up on what each fighter does best and where they struggle. For those without the time to watch full length fights, SWN will give them an easy to digest list of Pacman's greatest strengths in the ring.
Left-Handed Power
Pacquiao is an offense-first fighter. His rise to prominence was based off his fan-friendly, energetic and attacking style. The most important part of Pacquiao's arsenal, and the reason many boxing observers feel Mayweather has avoided facing him, is his left hand. Pacquiao packs a ton of power in his left hand, and Mayweather has had previous difficulties vs. southpaw opponents.
Pacquiao's trail from the super light weight classes to junior middleweight is littered with victims of his straight left. One of the most famous instances was in his most recent fight against an overmatched Chris Algieri. Merely seconds after his trainer unfortunately told HBO that he was going to let his fighter "out of the cage," Pacquiao belted him with a straight left that sent him flying.
Pacquiao's left hook is brutal too, and will probably be more essential to him when he takes on "Money" Mayweather. Check out how quickly he's able to drill even world-class opponents with it.
Hand Speed
Pacquiao's always been a big puncher, but the speed with which he can throw those shots has allowed him to carry that power to higher weight classes. When Pacquiao decimated Oscar De La Hoya in 2008, that speed was never more evident.
Even supremely talented defensive fighters have problems keeping Pacquiao off them because his speed is simply greater than anything else they have seen. Mayweather in particular has faced fast hands, particularly Zab Judah and Shane Mosley, but neither can compare to the Pacman.
Unique Angles
So as if the power mixed with blazing speed wasn't enough, Pacquiao also fights in a way that's just different from anyone else. His approach led to an immortal quote from Algieri after he'd been vanquished, when he said "Manny Pacquiao is the best in the world at being Manny Pacquiao." On its face that sounds like something a man who was knocked down six times might say, but he's right.
Pacquiao attacks from odd angles that are almost impossible to predict, and he does so with quickness and force. That unpredictability helps slow down larger opponents who might bear down on him with their size advantages such as Antonio Margarito or Joshua Clottey. It also may help him score early on Mayweather when they meet May 2, allowing him to bank early rounds.
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