Roach's Strategy Was Sound

Pac did look pretty did until the ko. He showed a lot of good head movement as RJ mentioned and was able to get closer and land on JMM. JMM just has his number. I don't think Pac got careless. He's been thinking offense first and defense last in all of their fights. He just got caught with the perfect shot.

 

Sounds like clutching at straws. Pac's improvements (more like renewed aggressiveness in my eyes) is enough to only convince me he doesn't need to retire. It doesn't convince me he would beat JMM. Marquez landed less but his shots had the most affect. The hook to the body was significant. So were the jabs. It's clear to me Juan has a knack to time Pac perfectly. He'd hurt Pac again if they were to fight. I don't know why it's so hard for people to admit JMM is the better fighter. He's beaten Pac convincingly at least 2 times in a row. Paul Williams was also putting the heat on Sergio before Paul was KTFO. It doesn't mean much when you get knocked out cold. In a 12 rd fight there's just nothing Pac can do to stop Marquez from landing that big right hand. If 4 fights hasn't convinced you yet then you are in denial. You care more about winning than Pac's health.

 

the last time he did, people said he lost the fight. cant please everyone.

 

I ****ing loved how when Pacquiao got up from the knockdown, you could see him bite down on his gumshield and go for it. He turned back the clock a year or two after that knockdown, was great to see.

I thought Roach's gameplan was solid, high workrate, plenty of movement, the feints were working very well. The problem Pacquiao had was similar to what happened to Hatton. You become comfortable being able to take shots or glancing blows on the chin, etc, you're basically confident in your punch resistance. In turn, although you may be able to add strings to your bow in terms of defense, you stick to what works. Pacquiao thought he could rely on his chin against Marquez, even after the knockdown.

 

Disagree

A strategy of increased aggression is the wrong strategy to use against a master counter puncher. I thought this when he kept saying it was his plan in the build up!! I don't rate Roaches strategy... rushing in with a gameplan which involves exchanging blows taking flush shots in every fight was always gonna end with him hitting the canvas at some point


Marquez is older with slower hands and slower legs but in this fight he just showed that he is a more intelligent fighter who has worked Pac out!! this was no fluke..... people can say he was doing well but Marquez had to absorb that punishment to make Pac get other eager so he could lay him out....

 

I thought Pac was boxing beautifully. Aside from the knockdowns, I had him winning every round. The only thing I can fault him for is getting too careless in that last round. He had it won with that exchange near the end, and as the seconds were counting down I was thinking "for the love of God, the rounds finished, why are you chasing him?". Then boom. He jumps straight in a monstrous right hand.

 

Roach's strategy was perfect - Pacquiao was overwhelming MArquez with his movement, volume and combinations. Marquez was losing the 3rd round and won the 4th because of his KO...the rest he was being dominated.

Pacquiao hasn't learnt that Marquez is the biggest warrior in boxing and you can never think "I've got him" and get careless - when he's down and out that's what he looks for, openings. Huge carelessness from Pacquiao and great timing from Marquez - Roach's gameplan was spot on and Marquez looked overwhelmed through a lot of the fight

 

it was a go big or go home strategy. it guaranteed a conclusive result.

 

Not a big Manny fan but I had him up in points and agree that he was beginning to take control of the fight before Juan made him take a nap. Thing is, Juan has always been able to give Manny fits because he is not a statue, faints and knows how to keep Manny out of range. Pac is a very active and impatient fighter that Juan keeps off rhythm and off balance, although Pac was touching him up pretty nice. Juan was setting him up though, you don't get punched that hard twice in a fight and dropped as a fluke.

 

The two facts are related; they're not separate things.

Manny was looking more like he had the upper hand than previously because he'd upped his aggression and head movement and doing that was causing JMM problems. That strategy has a flip-side, though: In going more gung-ho in an attempt to overwhelm, you're going to give Marquez more openings and opportunities to counter-time you, and that's what he does best, and is exactly what happened. I salute Manny: His choice of tactics are what really made this a fight (probably because he didn't want to hand too much of the initiative to Marquez as in fight III).

That's what's great about the fights between these two. They have the skillsets to give each other problems whatever the strategy. There's no tactic between them that's zero-risk.

 

Bang on.

After seeing him hurt, Pac just wanted to end the night early and go home, which was his biggest undoing. I understand that their gameplan was to be more daring -- even I was saying they should do this -- but on the night they didn't actually need to as JMM's activity was pretty low and he was getting outboxed anyway. After being knocked down himself, Pac really should have been more respectful of JMM's power and stuck to the controlled aggression he was exhibiting for the most part.

 

It was definitely a high-risk, high-reward strategy and it cost them. Yes, they had Marquez hurt and busted up but also were on the canvas themselves in Round 3.

They were telling Pacquiao to stick to the gameplan even after Marquez had decked him.

It looked like they were going for broke and that is what they got, ultimately it was the wrong choice.