Manny Pacquiao is arguably the greatest offensive fighter of this generation, but his five losses and two draws prove that he is not invincible. When these two icons clash on May 2, Mayweather will undoubtedly know about these three weaknesses in Pacquiao’s game—but can he take advantage?
Wildness
Pacquiao became a star because of his ability to swarm opponents and overwhelm them with volume. His offensive attack is frenetic, and what set him apart from other high-volume punchers was the power he generated even from unlikely angles. For most fighters it was simply too much to handle.
The famed Oscar De La Hoya wilted despite a big size advantage, and the seemingly indestructible Antonio Margarito remained on his feet for 12 rounds, but had his career irreparably harmed because of the damage Pacquiao did to his eye.
Juan Manuel Marquez was able to solve Pacquiao’s onslaught though. Marquez earned a draw in their first bout despite tasting the canvas three times in the first round, and knocked him out cold in their fourth fight. In between were two bouts that could’ve gone either way.
Timothy Bradley beat Pacquiao too in their first meeting. While Bradley’s win was controversial, he was able to avoid the pounding others had received because of his defensive skill. Elite defensive fighters have proved that Pacquiao can be timed and countered.
Can Mayweather Capitalize? “Money” is counting on it. Floyd Mayweather is one of the finest defensive fighters that ever lived, and that skill is what’s always drawn fans to this matchup. It is a classic style pairing, made possibly more interesting by the two fighters’ advanced age. Mayweather must prove his reflexes are still up to par against a future Hall of Famer, while Pacquiao has to prove he isn’t slowing down.
Pacquiao’s Chin
Pacman has been in the ring with many, many hard punchers and made it through. He has taken licks from the likes of Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, etc. He’s also been knocked out three times. Granted, the first two knockout losses came in 1996 and 1999, but his loss to Marquez was eye-opening.
For all of his offensive wizardry, Pacquiao has always been vulnerable to getting hit. It’s part of the charm. De La Hoya hit him early on, and Cotto had success in spots. Pacman is tough as nails, but as Marquez proved, anybody can go down if they’re hit cleanly.
Can Mayweather Capitalize? Mayweather’s accuracy is the stuff of legend, but aside from a questionable KO against Victor Ortiz (Mayweather hit him while his defenses were down), his last knockout of a fighter defending himself was Ricky Hatton in 2007. Mayweather should land his fair share of clean shots, but whether he has the pop to put Pacquiao down remains to be seen.
Power
This sounds like blasphemy, but it’s not a given that Pacquiao can hurt Mayweather anymore. Pacquiao’s fights of late are strange to those who have followed him through his prime. His style is intact; all the off-balance punches are still there, and the hand speed is present. He no longer hurts opponents like he once did though.
Brandon Rios was pummeled by Pacquiao, but never came close to going down.
Ditto for Margarito. Pacquiao’s last knockout came in 2009 vs. Cotto, and while he knocked down Chris Algieri six times in his last outing (two appeared to be slips), Algieri was in his first ever welterweight bout and not ready for that spotlight.
Sometimes Mayweather surprises opponents by coming forward as he did against Canelo Alvarez. This helps offset the bias he may receive from judges for fighting in a defensive manner. If Pacquiao isn’t able to seriously hurt Mayweather, it will be hard for him to earn a decision.
Can Mayweather Capitalize? In short, yes. Mayweather doesn’t get hit too much, but when he has been rocked he’s taken it well. When Shane Mosley wobbled him he reacted like great veterans do—he held, made it through the round, and boxed the rest of the way. Marcos Maidana clocked him in both of their 2013 fights, and Mayweather ate them well. He has a sturdy chin, so Pacquiao will really have to connect cleanly to cause big-time damage. If he can, then he’ll be the first.
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