Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Fight: Can Mayweather Knock Out ‘Pacman’ on May 2? Oscar De La Hoya Gives Prediction
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will finally collide less than a week at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Will the showdown end in a close decision or will one fighter walk away with a knockout win?
If the fight ends in a knockout, boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya is convinced it will not be in favor of Mayweather, who will put his perfect 47-0 record at stake on fight night.
De La Hoya said that he cannot see Mayweather knocking Pacquiao out because he expects the reigning pound-for-pound king to rely on his usual strategy -- defend and box enough to win more rounds than his opponent. The Hall of Fame boxer said that unlike Pacquiao, he cannot see Mayweather taking the risk of going for a knockout.
"We're going to see the same thing he does in every fight, which is box, win the rounds one at a time. I don't see Mayweather trying to knock out Pacquiao, but I can see Pacquiao trying to knock out Mayweather," De La Hoya said. "In this sport one punch can change everything and I think I'm going to have to give Pacquiao the advantage."
De La Hoya sees Pacquiao starting strong in the first two rounds of the fight to impress the judges. If Pacquiao successfully wins the first two rounds of the bout, the Golden Boy Promotions president thinks Mayweather will change plan and become the aggressor, which could eventually work in favor of Pacquiao.
De La Hoya is worried, though, that the Nevada State Athletic Commission's decision to name Kenny Bayless as referee for the fight will hurt Pacquiao's chances against the reigning pound-for-pound king.
"Pacquiao is now up against two guys in the ring instead of one," De La Hoya said. "So I would have to say that Pacquiao is already one point behind and the fight hasn't even started. It's surprising to me, given the history. But it is Vegas and it is Mayweather's home town and they're going to obviously do what's best for him."
Bayless has refereed in five Pacquiao fights and seven Mayweather bouts, including the Grand Rapids native's historic fight against De La Hoya in 2007. Mayweather scored a split-decision win against De La Hoya during that fight, which is currently considered as the biggest fight in history in terms of revenue.
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