My May Pac Highlights

Yeah, I thought the same thing. Floyd's legs did not look good to me in the Maidana fights (either one). In hindsight, I may have undervalued the size/style challenges Marcos brought to the table against Floyd, although I firmly believed otherwise going in to this. Floyd's feet were light and fast, and he usually got them where he needed to be throughout most of the fight - which is why he dominated the range for the majority of the time. Pac looked like Led Foot. Look at his feet in the Oscar fight compared to what he brought to the table against Floyd. Truth is, Pac's feet haven't been as good since 2011 or so, and the one fight where I seem to recall them looking better than they had since than was JMM4.

His in and out rhythm, was, a thing of beauty at one point. He'd dart in, unleash a fast vicious combo, bounce back out of range, attack again, etc.

I recognized that Pac's feet had deteriorated, but as I imagined things going in, I thought Floyd's foot speed and legs had deteriorated, too. But he shined and looked great.

Incidentally, I also thought on initial viewing that Pac's hand speed looked slow for the first 3 rounds, but I think I may have been wrong about that, and that it just appeared that way because his feet (compared to what Pac once was) were really terrible.

Thanks for watching, BTW! :good

 

Floyd's legs didn't look "partially shot", or at least that's not how I'd describe it. They were showing normal signs of age, though. I now believe that had more to do with Marcos' style/size/strength than I was originally willing to concede.

But it could also be a matter of Pac's legs being far closer to shot than anything else. His feet are slower and his footwork is worse. Go back and watch any of his 2008-09 fights, and then watch the Floyd fight, or even your example with Algieri. Look at the Bradley fights, especially the first. Look at JMM3. Even signs of this exist when he fought Shane.

His footwork, athleticism, and volume were what made him so special in that 2008-09 even 2010 period. To reiterate, his feet are slower and they exhibit poorer form and technique. His athleticism has clearly been on the slide, and his stamina can no longer handle the pace he previously was able to set and maintain.

Pac's an aging fighter. His ring age is far greater than his 36 years. And even if you want to believe every angle his team is selling regarding the shoulder, and you want to give him a pass for that - accept that he will never be a 100% healthy fighter ever again. Not now. Not after rehab. Not ever. He's 36 and visibly faded, and perhaps fading more rapidly than we realize.

He was once very special. He isn't anymore.