For this thread, assume that one tune-up is all that Floyd needs to be at the level of his last fight (Hatton). And assume that Pac will be as good as he was in his last fight (Also Hatton). Can Pac pull it off ? What does he need to do in the ring ?
PAc can beat Floyd and this is pretty simple. Sit back and pick his shots, I think he's faster than Floyd and he has that right hook and quick left that can score points, steal rounds and be on teh move in and out. Force floyd to be aggresive. Anytime a fighter has the speed, footwork and accuracy of a Pacquaio, he can basically pick his shots and control certain aspects of the fight if he wants to. Pac can win a decision and in a no lose situation if he does this which I think what Roach and co. really has in store for Floyd. Not in a million years can I envision Floyd chasing anyone in the ring and if he did he gives Pac full advantage.
Pacquiao beating Floyd is not impossible. Floyd's defense is good but that doesn't mean it's flawless. Floyd's shoulder roll will not work on Pacquiao because Pacquiao has fast hands and he can throw 3-4 punches in split seconds. He is not the old Pacquiao that Marquez fought (one-dimensional and defenseless). If I were Pacquiao, I would hit Mayweather's body and arms or elbow and if he straightens up I would hit him with a straight to the head. Pacquiao does not need to target any vital points. His sheer speed and power can put Mayweather in an uncomfortable position. Don't get me wrong, I'm aware that Mayweather has some speed aswell, but if you compare his speed to Pacquiao, I believe that Pacquiao will make him look slow. If Pacquiao can put Mayweather in that uncomfortable position then his chances of KOing Mayweather is high.
manny matches floyd in the speed dept, and in the past only judah had. judah has been known to be a force the first 4 rounds, he usually gases out, at least the majority of times. manny no doubt would be the aggressor, cutting off the ring to engage with floyd, but unlike most of floyds opponents, is not a telegraphic powerpuncher that will leave himself wide open and force floyd into the ropes. floyd will try his best to keep it in the center, but manny will also engage him in the center of the ring putting pressure on floyd with jabs, right hooks, and each time floyd covers up defensively, it will work against him like with jlc because manny will attack the body. i think floyd will only take so much to the body. floyd stated he would copy morales's blueprint to beat manny and for that he would have to be a more boxer puncher with jabs and right hands instead of counterpunching. i think this fight can go either way in a decision because both have good chins, especially manny. i think a draw is not out of the question, both fight smart, do alot of pop shotting, will try to avoid going toe to toe, especially floyd, and are very precise punchers. floyd is a slow starter, while manny has alot of energy throughout the whole fight, but will slowdown in the middle. so i can see manny taking the first, and then floyd connecting in the middle. jmm wobbled manny badly in the first round, so i don't know if floyd might try to finish manny once he has manny in trouble. jmm wobbled manny several times in the 2nd fight, but could not finish. a faster, bigger fighter like floyd would be a problem, but manny can also has chances of dropping floyd with the right hook, like judah did, or attacking the body.
With a proper game plan and leave it to Roach and Moorer. They are good at it. Pac is now a two handed monster, with power on his right hook, surprisingly since we know he is a lefty. His speed on the in and out will give Mayweather trouble and I believe He will rely on his stamina to execute his game plan anchor on the in and out and win rounds as much as. Roach even knew this. I cannot give you a link since I saw only Pac last night on the interview on Philippine TV where he said "Mayweather is good but not that good" In my mind, Pac himself saw a weakness in Mayweather style that He can possibly exploit.
Unfortunately, I just cannot envision Pac winning being the aggressor as varied his attack has become. If Pac goes all out, hes throwing caution to the wind against one of the most cunning counterpunchers in history. I dont like those odds. I say live for another day and give Floyd a dose of his own medicine. I swear Pac has a faster "punch" than Floyd, that left straight, nothing is faster than that in all of boxing and Floyd is prone to that as long as it isnt telegraphic and overused. If Pac picks his shots , in and out and be on the move constantly, he can win rounds. This is solid strategy because now you force Floyd to chase and eliminate his advantage. Only a fighter like Pac who has the speed can do this, JMM cant do it. And Pac has power, if the opportunity presents itself when that left straight stuns floyd, then go for the kill. Look the fans might boo, but Pac will look rosy if he wins applying this strategy. Imagine form 1 dimensional to a great boxer
Pile on the points early. Manny starts fast, and Floyd tends to start slow while looking to adjust to his opponent, so the best thing Manny can do is jump on Floyd off the bat, look to take a couple of early rounds on activity. Not only does it pile on a few points, it may get into Floyd's head and put some doubt in his mind about whether he can come back. Put the emphasis on speed, darting in and out. Try to constantly mix up rhythms so Floyd can't get a bead on how to counter. Floyd thrives on using his speed to make opponents tentative, making them reluctant to throw because they know they'll be getting clocked back several times when they do. (And if you're throwing reluctantly, you're throwing more slowly, making you easier to counter. It's a vicious cycle). Instead, don't let Floyd get his timing down, keep him guessing, make Floyd tentative about opening up or exposing himself. Floyd's version of the shoulder roll has shown some vulnerability to southpaws, most notably in the early going against Zab Judah. Zab had a lot of success in the early rounds with straight lefts down the pipe and hooking off his jab. When he managed to back Floyd up and Floyd went into the philly shell/shoulder roll position, it showed an openness to the right hook. Use feints to draw out Floyd's vulnerabilities. At mid and long range, feint with the striaght right and right hook to set up the straight left. At close range, feint with the left to set up right hooks and follow with the left. Even if it doesn't land it'll keep Floyd on the defensive and earn points. If Floyd turns aggressive, counter with straight lefts and left uppercuts to make him think twice about it. Most importantly, don't go hunting for the KO. If you get Floyd in trouble, pounce on him, but aim for a decision victory. Keeping controlled and fighting smart will do more for you than wild aggression, since too much wildness will give Floyd his chance to counter you to death.
He could beat him with constant pressure, but I think PBF has too much pop for that. If he tries the darting in and out style he sometimes uses he WILL lose. NOBODY does that better than PBF, Pac's not gonna beat him at his own game.