I was watching both fights the other day, and it appears to me that Pacquiao actually looked FASTER against Rios than he did for the first Bradley fight. His punches and combinations also looked tighter and and sharper. Bradley 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDJdtUzyzSE Rios https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnDVLFI5W0w
of course Pac is going to look faster vs Rios, that is because Rios is a one-dimensional punching bag who's there to be hit, Timmy in comparison is faster, more mobile and actually has a defense, albeit not Floyd type, but nonetheless, is much harder target to find I'm not saying Pac isn't fast, because he is, it's just silly on comparing how Pac looked in the first vs Timmy to how he outclassed someone who is levels below Timmy in every department (well, maybe besides chin and heart, both have tons of both)
I wouldn't really compare or judge anything based on the Rios fight to be painfully honest with you. Rios was nothing but a heavybag with legs who had no speed and no skills whatsoever, anyone would look magical and fast against that. It's like a heavybag training session, almost anyone looks intimidating as he ravishes the standing willing target. Here's a quick example, Hopkins looked lightning fast against Pavlik only to look his age(44) and slow against the faster more active Calzaghe.
Pac got muscled up for the pac and marquez fights (3 and 4). That slowed him down and decreased his work-out put. I have a funny feeling it his coordination that is gone....not his speed.
Like he said, irrelevant. He's looking at Pac and Pac alone, how fast his punch travels and how explosive he is. For example when Rios or Bradley put their guard up and Pac unleashes a combination, Pac looks faster against Rios than he does against Bradley, nothing to do with the opponent as the opponent in that instance is still with his guard up. That said a trickier fighter like Bradley can make a fighter slower, they make you more hesitant because they counter you thus you dont fully commit with the punches, with Rios he was more a punching bag so he can unleash a flashy combination and get out. I agree with op though, Pac was in better physical condition for Rios. Reason being he looked lethargic and slow vs Bradley, I don't think he trained as hard as he was a huge favourite and was on an undefeated streak. With Rios he actually trained 10 weeks for the fight and it was very important to him. I watched Rios and Cotto fight back to back though, and Pac looks slow as hell in the Rios fight compared to the Pac vs Cotto.
Yes, in a relative sense I understand your'e point about looking faster against a slower opponent. At the same time I disagree with the fact you still can't compare the two. For instance Pacquiao straight left looked faster than it did against Bradley in the first fight (in my opinion). That has no bearing on how fast the opponent is. That is a lead shot that an opponent in forced to react to. In that example I can clearly see how fast he's throwing it, compared to the Bradley fight.
I agree with the part that he looked lethargic against Timmy, ultimately taking 2 minutes off in practically every round cost him the fight, but I still don't think it makes much difference to the fact that any top JR WW/WW will look faster vs Rios than against Timmy
you have made a point though, he didn't look himself against Timmy, he even looked sharper and quicker vs Marquez in his next fight, for whatever reason(s) Pac looked 60/70% of his best self vs Timmy the in first fight
Yup exactly. Also Pacquiao said he didn't take Bradley that serious. I have to say looking at the two fights, I can agree with that. Like you said he looked pretty lethargic against Bradley. I didn't realize that until I watched it again.
