Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao Fight Predictions: 5 Ways Pacquiao Can Beat Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are still set to square off in the biggest match of the year. Welterweight championships are on the line, legacies are at stake, and there's a whole a lot of money to be made.
To no one's surprise, Mayweather is the favorite to win and extend his undefeated mark to 48-0. Pacquiao has a tough task, but he is fully capable of pulling it off. Here are five things Pacquiao must do to beat Mayweather.
1. Strike Early
Pacquiao has been waiting a long time for this fight. He has called Mayweather "scared" and predicted a win multiple times. From the first ring of the bell, he should impose his power on Mayweather and show him how serious this fight really is. Mayweather has great endurance, so Pacquiao imposing his will early on is crucial to a victory. Many believe that a draw will be rewarded to Mayweather by the judges at the MGM Grand, so it's best not leave it up to the judges.
2. Take Advantage of Southpaw
One of the biggest questions heading into this fight is, how will Mayweather deal with Pacquiao's southpaw stance? Pacquiao knows how to use his unique fighting style to outduel his opponents, but Mayweather has great speed and defense that could offset that. If Pacquiao can corner Mayweather and connect on that huge left hook, we could see Mayweather knocked down to the canvas for the first time ever.
3. Get in Close
The undeniable advantage for Mayweather is size. He is slightly taller, and he has a five-inch reach advantage. Obviously Mayweather will use this factor to his advantage every which way possible. The bottom line is Pacquiao has to overcome an obvious size disadvantage, which he has done plenty of times before. Pacquiao will have to get in close (like a Mike Tyson type of fighter) and trade blows with Mayweather to win this fight. Freddie Roach is a smart trainer, and he will certainly devise a plan to corner "pretty boy Floyd," and stop him from running away.
4. Keep Attacking the Body
While everyone wants to see the big knockout, it's unlikely to happen given the fact that both Mayweather and Pacquiao are past their primes. There's nothing like getting head shots, but body shots score the most points. Pacquiao has to keep swinging for the body and continue to rack up the points, so he doesn't need the knockout in the later rounds. If Pacquiao can do a large amount of damage to Mayweather's body in the first half of the fight, it will force Mayweather to actually fight back instead of playing it safe.
5. Age Before Beauty
Mayweather has the unquestionable edge in size, but Pacquiao has an advantage in age. Pacquiao is two years younger, and he has to be able to use that to his benefit. In their last fights, Pacquiao was on point against Chris Algieri, but Mayweather didn't look very impressive against Marcos Maidana. Despite throwing just 425 punches to Maidana's 825, it appeared as if Mayweather was winded at times. Is there a chance that Pacquiao has the advantage in stamina heading into this match?
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