I think it would be a close fight. The margarito/clottey/cotto fights just show manny is capable of beating bigger fighters and dont have any bearing on a floyd fight imo. None can counterpunch and are all at a big speed disadvantage with manny as well. Note that Marquez did control pacs agression to an extent with good counterpunches although he did it with combos something that Floyd doesnt really like doing. Also Mayweather is longer and is fast himself and knows how to use his height effectively pac will have to be the aggressor in this fight and come forward and he is hittable. A huge workrate isnt the problem its the power and speed and varied offense that will trouble Floyd the most but i think he'll find a way to win. Lets just hope it happens in 2011.
Marquez doesn't mind getting hit; that's why Floyd will struggle to replicate the success he had. Manny has also improved big time. He'd spark JMM now IMO, at 140 for instance.
The only thing i can say is, it's the same way that i think Yoko Gushiken is better than Michael Carbajal, Carbajal is greater, or has achieved more, but Gushiken looks a better fighter to me. Pacquiao is greater right now, he has achieved more, but Mayweather is better than him in my opinion. If they fight i think he'll win comfortably to be honest, i'm going on the record with that now. On the Margarito-Pac and Mayweather-JMM fights i definitely see parallels. Both fights were a joke in terms of matchmaking, but both were great performances by the winner. I don't distinguish between fighting styles, you can put on a master class offensively, you can put on a master class defensively. If we're going to label Mayweather's win display against JMM as poncing around then we have to be consistent with that throughout history with other fighters who won by outmaneuvring their opponents using footwork because they knew that their opponent had great upper body-skills but poor footwork (Marquez). Mayweather never let JMM get set to throw effectively, never mind land quality shots. People will say that JMM was small, but like i said, its not a good win, its a **** win, but in terms of the boxing and generalship on display, it was quality imo. I like watching boxers, and fighters, i appreciate all kinds of pugilist. I like Haye's slugging style, i like Wladimir's boxing style. Last night, same thing, Pacquiao put on a fine performance, probably his most complete, but i'll watch it again to clarify my standing on that point. The win is ****, and if you want to get technical about it, Margarito is bigger, but who the **** is Margarito at 154? Nobody. The only edge that Pacquiao-Margarito has over Mayweather-JMM is that Margo is bigger naturally than Pac, whereas Mayweather is bigger naturally than JMM. But Margarito stylistically is taylor made for Pac, we can all see this before the fight, Margarito is clearly not on Pac's level, which was also blatant before the fight. He is only bigger, and if you want to give large credit to Pac on that point then go ahead, although i don't think it's all that deserved. McGrain said on classic that the fight was a joke and i agree. And i'm consistent with that, because i can see that Marquez is taylor made for Mayweather, before the fight i could see that, JMM is better than Margarito though, but he is smaller than Mayweather so that is cancelled out. Like i said, i see parallels, only with some small differences. If they don't fight each other now they can both **** off in my eyes. Mayweather is better though in my opinion. Both are establshed in and around the same weight class now, so a fight between the two is fair for me. Mayweather will win.
Flea Man, I know you have probably seen it, but if you get the chance, watch the JMM 2 fight again, I went back and scored that fight and I was not impressed by how much Manny has improved against a counter puncher. That seems to be as much about Marquez deterioration that Pac's advancements fighting counter punchers though.
I actually had money on Floyd to win if the fight was made in 2010 on points. in the months that followed I've watched a great deal of both fighters, then Saturday finally changed my mind. Pacquiao wins. Mayweather can fight on the back foot for 36 minutes and discourage Manny to stay away. If the likes of Cotto and Margarito can't back him up then Floyd as no chance.
Ditto, glad you said that actually. All these 'improvements' he has made have only been on display against drastically flawed fighters. I do like the way he has another dimension now though, how he pivots on the right heel, which has both improved his defence and his right hook.
:good His style of counterpunching is 'come and hit me and i'll hit you back more' (post-featherweight that is), and his footwork is his biggest flaw easily. It's credit to him though that he did well against some pure boxers (who should always beat him) such as John (who i thought he beat clearly), because sometimes the gulf in class>the styles match-up.
I love watching Manny fight, cant stand Mayweather, but one thing we have to keep in perspective.............Cotto, Margo, Hatton, are aggressive fighters, guys who are susceptible to Pac's fast feet, sharp shooting style, particularly Hatton, Margo, as neither of them set their offense up, probably because they dont have a jab to do so, which is why they both got hammered trying to work in, close distance fast with out it. I still need to see whether Manny can handle a counter puncher.
Yeah, i love watching both myself. I just think Mayweather is better than him to be honest though. We'll only ever truly know if they fight
Roach has said he only wants it at 147. Everyone Pacquiao has ever faced is easy to hit, thats why Manny will struggled.