In 2009/2010, Manny Pacquiao would've stopped Floyd Mayweather.

I just want to go on record as stating this on here.

If they fought now, now that both are showing signs of physical decline, I think Mayweather would outbox/outpoint Pacquiao. This is not surprising. When fighters rely heavily on their physical gifts (ie: Jones Jr, Pacquiao) they will naturally decline earlier and more sharply than fighters who rely more heavily on their technique (ie: Hopkins, Mayweather). Mayweather has shown in his last three fights against Mosley, Ortiz and especially Cotto that does not have the same movement anymore, he's a more stationary target and no longer possesses the footspeed and mobility he had in his younger years.

However, his decline is patently not as substantial as Pacquiao's has been. In Pac's last three fights with Mosley, Marquez and Bradley it's clear that he no longer has the same relentlessness, intensity and killer instinct that he had when he was hunting down and brutalizing Cotto, Hatton and Oscar. I think it must have been obvious to anyone watching the Bradley fight that Timbo was ready to go in more than one of the middle rounds, but that Pacquiao just didn't have it in him anymore to finish the fight. The 2008-2010 Pacman would have done so with ease IMO. Manny also seems to have lost the spring in his legs and the ability to sustain the intensity of movement, he appears to have regressed to following fighters and loading up on the left hand, much like he did in the pre-Roach days. I attribute this to an inability to sustain the high-octane in-out footwork he demonstrated against Cotto and Oscar amongst others.


I know that Floyd fans would rather die than admit it, but it will be clear as day to historians in the future that Floyd Mayweather did anything and everything he could to prevent a Pacquiao fight from happening when it actually mattered in the 2009-2010 period. I think he was very shrewd to do so, he knew that Pacquiao's left-handed stance, his punching power, his explosive speed and brilliant offensive footwork would have seen him getting clipped in an exchange, getting hurt, and getting swarmed.


If they fight now (and I still don't think they ever will, have been saying this since '08 ) it really won't mean so much, and everyone knows it. The time that this would've been the biggest fight since Whitaker vs Chavez or Leonard vs Hagler has most certainly passed now. But if they had fought when it mattered, Pacquiao would have won, and his rather toothless performances of this past year or so really shouldn't obscure that.

:bbb

 

An excuse? If you watch videos of Pac's fights in 2011/12, and watch videos of Pac's fights in 2008/09/10, and really can't see any difference in him, I suggest you take up tennis or golf or some other **** sport, as you don't understand boxing.

 

Er, I'd rather not.