Who has gone to war with Pac?

I think people forget that for the longest time, everyone’s plan was to “back up the smaller Pac”, so the plan was to pressure him. Since Morales won with this strategy.

But aside from Morales, who has dared to pressure Pac and had success with it?

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”. Everyone has a plan to throw punches at Manny until they feel the power and they decided to spoil the fight by either run/turtle up. By spoiling the fight, less punches are exchanged, less damage taken, it’s a defense mechanism for them.

- ODLH. Turtled up, couldn’t get off.
- Hatton. True to his word, got ktfo being true.
- Cotto. Started off pressuring. Got hurt and decided to run.
- Mosley. Ran.
- Clottey. Turtled up.
- Margo. True to his word, paid the price.
- Rios. Turtled up.
- Floyd. Ran, hugged, ran, hugged.
- Horn. Flurry then fell and hugged and spoilt.
- The rest ran.
- Oh ye, JMM. He pulled it off but let’s not pretend some luck was involved. He was in as much danger as Pac was in that firefight.

Thurman was the last one and that was telling, and he only could because Pacs stamina could not keep up. 2010 Pac would have utterly destroyed and finished him.

If Pac comes in shape into this fight, he may very well have Spence rethinking his game plan early.

 

Exactly this. Maybe I should have instead asked "who has succesfully pressured Pac without resorting to foul and hugging tactics". For a while, this was the common thought for how to beat Pac, back him up as he can't fight going backwards.

The last was Morales 1. It didn't work that well in the 2nd and 3rd fight. Many people will not acknowledge this, but it very much hard to do with Reyes vs Winning gloves. Reyes gloves are called the punchers gloves for a reason. Amongst other reasons of course, Morales weight, Pac improving, adapting to the weight better (I believe 130 was his first fight with Morales).

And sure JMM did this but no one can deny that was a hell of a fight. And JMM was very close to paying the price before he pulled the perfect counter. The 4th fight, JMM went to war and that was the closest he was to being stopped since JMM-Pac 1.

As for intelligent pressure fighters. Cotto very much fit that bill, but he quickly abandoned that strategy after the first 4 rounds. Other brawlers are Diaz, Hatton, Margo, Rios. The first 2 paid the price and Margo and Rios despite coming forward, actually fought a lot more conservatively than they did in previous fights. Margo actually kept a high guard and used his jab. Against Mosley, he was walking him down with his chin, hands down.

My point is, to pressure Pac means to get within his range. If you're in his range, he can fire a fast combination at you and step out/side, rinse, repeat. Pretty much what he did to all other pressure fighters. You put yourself in great danger getting into Pac's range.

Mayweather's strategy was to stay tf out of range. Whenever May got within Pac's range, he spoilt it by bending below the waist and pushing forward to force a clinch.

Bradley also tried to go to war and got hurt, so he went back to being slick.

I am not sure Spence can handle the power inside. If he can't, he'll have to fight from Range, so it'll be a less action packed fight. But IMO, that might be his best bet. I don't think he'll win, fighting the way he plans to as can be seen in the leaked sparring vid.

 

Cotto was one of the best bodypunchers in his day, and one of the best jabs along with Ward, Klitschko and Floyd.

Pac's short body does well for him. He can cover his head and body at the same time and taller fighters have to reach lower.

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I think that's key, does Spence have more gears to him that we haven't seen? He will need to step it up a notch if he finds that he can't just pressure Pac and systematically break him down.

Cotto did adjust, he boxed, which he can do very well and tbh, he had more success with than the pressuring style of the first half of the fight. By then, he was too beat up.

 

I agree with this. The pace will be very telling, but I noticed that Pac's camp is specially focused on conditioning and taking bodyshots in this camp. So I hope he comes in 15 rounds shape.

I don't think they actually believe Thurman is better than Spence. You can see it in their demeanour. Pac said he was going to "teach" Thurman a lesson, take him to school, which he did but it shows how confident Pac was. He seems to be taking this fight very seriously and knows it will be one of his toughest fights, ever.

Spence and Floyd's style are worlds apart. Mayweather beat Pac with range and spoiling the fight. It was a pretty simple strategy, jab and potshot at range, Pac won't throw if he's out of range. As soon as Pac get in range, bend below the waist and initiate a clinch, reset. Do it for 12 rounds. Easy.

Spence can't do that. Floyd could keep Pac at range because:
1. His counters are literally the best in the world, one of the best ever. So Pac couldn't recklessly lunge in.
2. He had the speed to pull it off, foot and handspeed to react quickly enough if he misses a jab. Although he got countered hard a couple of times himself.

Spence feet, although economical, aren't that fast. Pac will close the gap quicker than he can react. I think he gets outpointed in a chess match.

I can see Spence using that long jab, pushing Pac down and throwing Pac off with that jab if he misses (he hits to the top of head and then pulls the head down as he pulls it back). This will spoil Pac and throw him off. Then he can lay in the bodyshots and left hands.