Will Floyd Stand Toe To Toe With Pac Or Will He Run?

The onus is on Floyd in this fight. Manny is going to do what Manny does. It's all going to depend on how Floyd reacts to what Manny does. IMO, Floyd can't become stagnant on the ropes like he's had a habit of doing in recent years because Manny will just throw multiple combinations at him. Being stuck in the turtle shell all night long against the ropes is not a good look for Floyd in this fight. I believe he is going to have to shift his weight from his right foot onto his left foot should he get into this situation and throw more left hooks to the body and left uppercuts. Just throwing the occasional right cross counter off of the ropes is not going to win him rounds in this scenario. Even if Manny's combinations do not land when Floyd is on the ropes it won't matter because if Floyd isn't countering back, Manny will accumulate points and that alone will win him rounds.

How is Floyd going to react to someone throwing 4-5-6 punch combinations at him all night long? Manny likes to be first. That's what his whole game is predicated on. And Floyd's game is predicated on counter punching. I'm not sure that's the right game plan for Floyd. Is Floyd going to be willing to throw 'with' Manny? I'm not confident Floyd's pot shot lead right hands are going to do the trick in this fight in the center of the ring. Even if Floyd is able to time Manny when Manny likes to bounce up and down like he likes to do. Manny's speed has not diminished but Floyd's has. Even if Floyd does throw that right hand--and lands it--Manny will be right there to follow up with a counter and likely from an unorthodox angle.

Floyd is going to have to jab in this fight and move around and be first. Can he do that effectively for 12 rounds? I honestly don't think he can. And, something I've alluded to in the past--I think Floyd is to the point in his career where he has been overtraining. I think by the time fight night rolls around, he's running on fumes. I blame this on old methodology but if Floyd is willing to listen to Ariza, then who knows.

I see Floyd getting hit more than ever in this fight. I actually think he'll look overwhelmed at times. I used to not feel this way about this matchup, but, I think Floyd's skills have eroded more than Manny's has. If Canelo and Maidana can both earn MD losses, there's no doubt in my mind that Manny can get an MD win.

And if Manny does win, Floyd will look back at his career and he'll come to the realization that he should've fought Manny back in 2010 when he was a more effective fighter. Basically, he'll look back on this whole long drawn out charade as a mistake.