Timing a conventional fighter is not a hard task. Will it be easy for Floyd to time Pacquiao--who is an unorthodox or unconventional type of fighter?
For Mayweather who bases his entire defense and time reaction off of conventional fighters? yes. It's one of Manny's greatest advantages going into the fight.
Both fighters have great footwork, meaning that both of them are ellusive and hard to land punches on them. But Pacquiao swarms his opponent so timing isn't the problem for him. Floyd is an accurate puncher and timing his opponents is his greatest offense.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDZFQCgsVw8 ...except bear in mind this won't be Hatton... In theory, Ricky wasn't exactly wrong. Pacquiao isn't some Rubrics Cube in the ring, or impossible to read. He is fairly predictable, with a limited number of maneuvers in his playbook, idiosyncratically drilled into his muscle-memory, but he's fast. That's a problem for Hatton, since he wasn't fast on the draw himself and didn't have quick reflexes, nor was he ever the most adept boxer at timing someone. Mayweather is fast of hand and foot (in the same league as Pacquiao) and for his age has ridiculous almost instantaneous defensive reflexes, and unlike Hatton is a master of timing..
In order for Floyd to time Pacquiao, he will need to adjust. Floyd being able to adjust sooner is another thing. Marquez's avantage is he already fought Pac 36 rounds prior to their 4th fight. Floyd will need to figure out Pac as early as possible or it will be too late for him.
Good thing for him on-the-fly adjustments (literally never watching tape on any opponents yet always managing to adjust mid-fight anyway) have kind of always been his specialty.
Pac is not hard to figure out. He is a southpaw but he is a conventional southpaw. His punches are thrown correctly. He don't come at you crazy, but he comes at you hard and regular. He has the same motions and there is a rhythm to those motions. One song and he dances to it the same way every time. Mayweather can be timed also but the difference is that he has more than one song and you have to catch him before he changes songs because for each song there is a different rhythm. This could have been said another way but this is the way I chose to convey it. :bbb
Then where are all these "he's so awkward, really weird angles, didn't think it would be that punch" comments coming from all his past opponents, ****ysts, and general public?
It will be a challenge and it may take Floyd longer than usual to figure Manny and a lot longer than usual to have his way with him but I feel he will figure him out I think Manny does have tendencies to tip off his punches, there is a gif floating around with round 2 and the ko punch in marquez 4 where Pacquiao does this bouncing step with both feet and moves his hips before he punches, first time marquez saw it he backed off then later the same thing happened and he flattened Pacquiao there are tip offs
What????? LOL if anything pac's one of the most unique southpaws ever because of how fast and aggressive he is for a southpaw. And he is far from conventional. Zab judah is conventional, erislandy lara, devon alexander, etc.. Those guys are conventional, throws the general one two and nothing else. Pac throws all kinds of punches in bunches, while moving. Yeah he gets hit but he will most likely hit you as well because he is not afraid to trade like most southpaws are.
I agree with you there. I also believe that he is very far from being a conventional fighter. Pacquiao's previous opponents had even said he is a very awkward and has power in both hands coming from weird angles.
A bit off topic in this thread IB but where do you rate Hatton ? Could he have achieved more with discipline and better coaching?
Maybe. He was pretty much what he was, or rather what he could've been. Of course having a professional coach (all due respect to Billy Graham, who for a regional trainer did quite well, maybe the 2nd best Mancunian after Gallagher?) would have served him well. Ultimately he was a fairly WYSIWYG type of fighter, however. He fought the best style he could to suit his natural gifts and milked all of what he could from that style.