Many boxing observers with a cynical take on the May 2 showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao complain that the super fight should have happened five years ago, when both fighters were in their primes. Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach believes that just the opposite is true though, and that Pacquiao has a better chance of winning now than he did then.
First, Roach cited that Pacquiao has filled into his body as a welterweight more now than when he began his 147-pound career. While he showed no ill effects from being smaller than his opponents, Mayweather's natural strength in the ring is often disguised by his lack of pure knockout power. Pacquiao's now spent years as a welterweight, and it's become more natural for him. He also thinks age is a factor in this bout, but it works in Pacquiao's favor.
"In 2010 the two-year age difference between the fighters was not significant to either, but that's not true today. Floyd at 38 is doing things he didn't do in the past. Floyd is a defensive genius but he has always depended on his legs to perform and you can see now that his legs do not have the same spring or fluidness of his earlier years," Roach said.
"The 2015 version of Manny is more mature, smarter and less reckless than the 2010 version. He will be treating the ring like a chess board anticipating Floyd's moves - ready to cut him off and attack every time he creates an opening."
While Pacquiao has become a smarter fighter as the years have worn on, some of his knockout power seems to have disappeared. Pacquiao was able to knock down Chris Algieri six times in his most recent fight, but the matchup was Algieri's first above 140 pounds, and he did eventually go the distance.
Pacquiao didn't score any knockdowns in the two fights prior to that, both unanimous decision wins over Brandon Rios and Timothy Bradley, and he hasn't won by knockout since 2009 vs. Miguel Cotto.
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