Pacquaio has much too much skill. This is the same guy who trounced the Hamed conquerer Barerra when he (Pacquiao) was arguably green. This fight goes nowhere but to a KO in about the 8th round. The speed and desire of Pacquaio at 126 was something to behold.
Hamed has the power to do a Marquez on Pac, with either hand, and from nowhere. You don't lunge in off balance against a prime Hamed, without paying. Since his S / Bantam days Pacman has only clean KO'd 4 guys, compared to Hamed's 12, and he has been KTFO himself by in fact a former feather in JMM. He just isn't good enough to outbox the prince, and I can't see him catching the little fvcker cleanly enough to stop him. Hamed was never a charge in like a headless chicken Hatton, and he certainly wasn't a shot Morales, nor was he a shopworn 60 fight veteran like MAB.
Was he as strong and tough as Margarito? Or as skilled as Marquez? Barrera was at the top of his game when Pacquaio came in a destroyed him like Willard. His speed, movement, and southpaw angles will give the Prince everything he did not get with Barerra, which was KO'ed.
I think Pacquiao's quick and powerful combination punching would be to much for the Prince with his awkward defense with his chin in the air and his bad balance. I see Prince getting knocked back off balance and number of times going to the canvas for a number of flash knock downs and eventually getting hurt for real and finished off. Hamed does have the punchers chance and I would expect to at least stun Pacquiao at some point but in the end I feel Pacquiao would prevail.
Oh please, you can't seriously be trying to compare Hamed with that big useless walking punchbag Margarito, can you? Have you actually seen Hamed fight, other than his outing against Barerra when he was long past caring, and was in it purely for the money? You are describing the 60 fight, 14 year veteran MAB as being " at the top of his game " when Pac met him. What planet are you on? As for Hamed being as skilled as JMM, no he wasn't but he was no slouch either. However one thing is for sure, at 126 he hit a fvcking lot harder, and faster than the Mexican, or Pacman. Hard enough in fact to switch Pac off like a cheap light bulb at anytime in the fight with one shot from either hand. If he fought the way he did when he lost to the semi shot Morales Pac would be asleep before he hit the canvas just as he was against JMM at Welter, probably inside 3 rounds.
Hamed got bounced all over the shop by a spent Kevin Kelly in his US debut and was legitimately stunned and floored by Daniel Aliecia in his supposed "prime". You reckon a beast who fought like a ****ing whirlwind in Manny Pacquiao couldn't do likewise? The fact is Hamed faced one elite prime fighter and got friggin trounced. Pacquiao shortly thereafter destroyed the same fighter. You can make any excuse you want but Hamed's resume is garbage compared to Manny's and Manny beat better fighters than Hamed did more impressively than Hamed beat his second raters (Augie Sanchez, Cesar Soto anyone?) Pacquiao is a flat out better fighter than Hamed and would have beaten him inside 7 rounds.
Hamed lunged in off balance himself and if he missed a punch was all over the place .What he had were quick reflexes and phenomenal power , fundamental boxing skill he did not possess .Pac Man was on another level . MAB exposed Hamed badly I won a few quid but more importantly that little bat- eared **** got a boxing lesson.
I saw the Kevin Kelley fight...who was incidentally a southpaw. Do I need to see more? 1-1 in challenging fights. The fight he won, he touched the deck three times...against Kevin Kelley. You do not really think that Kelley is greater than Pacquaio...do you? Margarito was a near great fighter until the Mosley fight. Mayweather ducked him for good reason. Up until Mosley fight he was a human wreaking ball. I know he cheated but, he still took on the best version that Cotto was, took everything he threw and still kept coming. You cannot cheat will and toughness. Margarito was a tough quality fighter. I miss his type. Pacquaio, a former flyweight chewed him. At the end of 2002, Marco Antonio Barerra was ranked by the The Ring as the number 3 P4P fighter under Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins. He had come off of embarasing Hamed and winning a disputed fight against Morales. Also took care of Tapia and Kevin Kelley in 4. He was on the top of his game and had been for a few years. Then came Pacqauio out of no where. What is all this talk of 60 fights? So what? He turned pro at 15. Mexican fighters from that period turned pro early and fought a ton. Was Chavez used up at 60 fights? I did not think so. Barerra was in his prime and then Pacqauio made him look old and done. Because that is what he did to people. He put Marquez down three times in the first round the first time they met. Skill for skill, Hamed do not have the speed or ring awareness to do anything with headmoving, pivoting, hard-step fienting, double-jab, left, faster than Mayweather harder punching than just about everyone in the history of the featherweight division Philipino nightmare. Get out of here with Naseem Hamed. Get him out.
Ahh someones read from the gospel of Bob Arum, no Margarito was never near a great fighter, he was a wild slow tough guy. Styles make fights in boxing. Pacquaio's fast straight punches and high pressure always beat MAB for my money. Barrera beat Hamed boxing on the back foot conservatively and tried not to engage because he knew Hamed could knock him out. Pacquiaio maybe Barrera's keeper but that doesn't mean he beats Hamed, he couldn't beat an older Morales first time either and Morales lost to MAB 3 times for my money. Pacquaio would look to engage and give Hamed far more openings, which may see him get knocked out. Or maybe Pacquaio's straight punches land on Hamed's low hands defence. Pacquaio is predictable though and can be timed, which plays into a counter puncher like Hamed's hands. I'm not sure I lean towards Hamed but Pacquiao has his chance here too. Both fighters eat the canvas for sure though. Hamed is a southpaw and switch hitter, he used angles better than Pacquaio ever did.
Not sure about the Bob Arum thing. I have no idea what he thinks about Margarito. I get my insights from watching him. From Cintron, Clottey, Paul Williams, and Cotto I thought he was one of the best fighter in the world, wild style or not. If I was alone, those guys he fought did not think so. It broke my heart about the plaster thing. I never saw him as a big puncher. He was always a volume. Even with it he was not knocking guys flat out. It was always the same accomulation of punches. I am cool with everything else you posted even though it seems like we disagree on a few things. Oh I just caught that southpaw addition to your post. "Hamed used angles better than Pacquaio". When? Against Kelley or Barerra? If you watch Paquaio in with Barerra or Morales or Marquez or Cotto or Margarito or Mosley or Clottey or DLH or oh my goodness Hatton you will not see better angles. Honestly that Hatton fight alone makes my arguement.
Hamed was a highly gifted boxer who was thrilling to watch but,sadly,was one of the many in boxing history who never achieved all he was capable of. As soon as he reached the top,he eschewed many of his skills and became over reliant on power punching. This would have ensured he'd come to grief against Pacquiao.
Pacquiao should win just on pure superamazingness ...... but Hamed was such a big puncher, quick, unorthodox, it makes an interesting fight.