The "Fight of the Century" is almost here. On Saturday Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KO) will take on his nemesis Floyd Mayweather Jr. (47-0-0, 26 KO) in what's expected to be the highest grossing fight in boxing history.
Mayweather is the favorite in Las Vegas sportsbooks, but Pacquiao is a living legend in his own right, and will have many bettors supporting him at the casinos and online. For those still figuring out where to put their money, or just trying to gain some insight into the fight, here are the three keys for each fighter to win this historically important bout.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s Keys
Slow Pacquiao Down With Jabs To The Midsection
This is a legacy fight for Mayweather, so a win may not be enough for him to make this the crowning achievement he wants it to be. Floyd has shown in the past he can be a very effective offensive fighter, and he has the chance to show that off on May 2. But first, he has to get Pacquiao to slow down.
One of Mayweather's signature punches is his jab to the stomach. He uses his long reach and incredible accuracy to suck the wind out of his opponents, and make them take their foot off the gas. Throughout his career Pacquiao has never been one to ever stop attacking, but he's only human and body shots show their effectiveness in the mid to later rounds. Mayweather's body jab will be crucial to him controlling the fight.
Come Forward
Watching Mayweather lay back on the ropes and twist and turn out of the way of flurries is one of the most thrilling things to watch in boxing. Against Pacquiao though, it'd be unwise. Pacquiao is a mega star in his own right, and if it's perceived that he's far more active than Mayweather, he could win a close fight on points.
Mayweather disrupted Canelo Alvarez badly in their 2013 fight by coming forward at times and blunting his aggression. In this fight, Mayweather is actually the bigger fighter, so he could potentially impose his physical will on Pacquiao. If Pacquiao is not allowed to fight coming forward, he could potentially be stopped.
Land The Right Hand
It's not a Mayweather preview unless Mayweather's laser beam right hand is mentioned. This is Floyd's signature punch, and his greatest weapon. The counter right hand is lethal, and sometimes if he's feeling extra confident he will even jump a little to put some hot sauce on it. Right hands are extremely important against southpaws, and Pacquiao's not much of a defensive wizard. If he lands enough of these Pacquiao's in deep trouble.
Manny Pacquiao's Keys
Head Movement, Range
Pacquiao is used to being the smaller fighter and May 2 will be no exception. Rarely is he in the ring vs. someone as skilled and brainy in the ring as "Money" Mayweather though. Pacquiao is at a five-inch reach disadvantage, so he must close the distance to have a prayer of solving the "Mayvinci Code." To do that, he has to elude Mayweather's jab, both upstairs and to the body. That means moving a ton, and especially his head.
Mayweather doesn't have one-punch, put-you-to-sleep pop, but his shots sure do sting; you can see it on his opponents' faces after each fight. If he gets his jab going, Pacquiao will be easy work. But Pacquiao is a pro and he's known for dipping and whirling his way into landing shots from odd angles. He must find ways around Mayweather's long jab and be able to dart away once he lets his hands loose, because Mayweather will be countering.
Land The Left Hand
Mayweather's big punch is the right hand, and Pacquiao's is the left. He showed that off against Chris Algieri when his trainer infamously was about to "let him out of the cage." Pacquiao leveled Algieri with a straight left hand that was straight out of his prime.
Mayweather will be much better at keeping Pacquiao off him though, so the first key-head movement-will determine whether he can employ that left hand. Then there's the question of whether Pacquiao's still got the power to make his left count if he tags Mayweather with it. We'll find out, but landing it is the important thing.
Be Smart
Pacquiao has made his rise by being fearless and reckless inside the ring, but that got him knocked unconscious in 2012 vs. Juan Manuel Marquez. Mayweather isn't quite the puncher that Marquez has turned into, but ask Ricky Hatton what can happen when you charge Mayweather like a bull with no defense.
Pacquiao needs to be selectively aggressive, meaning he has to carefully weave his way in, throw crisp combinations, then jump out of range. He's not strong enough to bully Mayweather like Maidana did, so speed and precision will have to do.
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