Boxing News Thread
- Thread starter heyzel
- Start date
LEO SANTA CRUZ ADDED TO MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO TELEVISED UNDERCARD
By Ben Thompson | April 09, 2015
LEO SANTA CRUZ ADDED TO MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO TELEVISED UNDERCARD
FightHype.com has been advised that WBC super bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz has been added to the televised portion of the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao undercard. From what we're told, Santa Cruz will not be defending his title. Instead, he'll be making his 126-pound debut.
The addition of Santa Cruz rounds out a 3-fight televised pay-per-view that will kick off with WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko defending his title against mandatory challenger Gamalier Rodriguez. Next up will be Leo Santa Cruz in his featherweight debut, followed of course by the main event that we've all been waiting for, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.
According to a source, Mayweather himself ensured that the always exciting Leo Santa Cruz, whose fought on 2 previous Mayweather undercards (Mayweather vs. Guerrero and Mayweather vs. Maidana), was fighting on this card to pay homage to Mexican fans during the Cinco de Mayo weekend. Ironically, promoter Bob Arum, who previously complained about Mayweather vs. Pacquiao taking place on May 2 because "it's poaching on a Mexican date and it's disrespectful to the Mexican people", chose not to showcase any Mexican fighters in his alotted undercard bouts.
The undercard will also feature super middleweight Jesse Hart taking on Mike Jimenez and jr. middleweight Chris Pearson facing Said El Harrak. As we understand it, hard-hitting cruiserweight Andrew Tabiti and light heavyweight Egor Mekhonstev may also appear in separate bouts on the non-televised portion of the undercard.
By Ben Thompson | April 09, 2015
LEO SANTA CRUZ ADDED TO MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO TELEVISED UNDERCARD
FightHype.com has been advised that WBC super bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz has been added to the televised portion of the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao undercard. From what we're told, Santa Cruz will not be defending his title. Instead, he'll be making his 126-pound debut.
The addition of Santa Cruz rounds out a 3-fight televised pay-per-view that will kick off with WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko defending his title against mandatory challenger Gamalier Rodriguez. Next up will be Leo Santa Cruz in his featherweight debut, followed of course by the main event that we've all been waiting for, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.
According to a source, Mayweather himself ensured that the always exciting Leo Santa Cruz, whose fought on 2 previous Mayweather undercards (Mayweather vs. Guerrero and Mayweather vs. Maidana), was fighting on this card to pay homage to Mexican fans during the Cinco de Mayo weekend. Ironically, promoter Bob Arum, who previously complained about Mayweather vs. Pacquiao taking place on May 2 because "it's poaching on a Mexican date and it's disrespectful to the Mexican people", chose not to showcase any Mexican fighters in his alotted undercard bouts.
The undercard will also feature super middleweight Jesse Hart taking on Mike Jimenez and jr. middleweight Chris Pearson facing Said El Harrak. As we understand it, hard-hitting cruiserweight Andrew Tabiti and light heavyweight Egor Mekhonstev may also appear in separate bouts on the non-televised portion of the undercard.
^^^^You know Santa Cruz named his son after Al Haymon? Al Santa Cruz. That's how much he appreciates getting paid big bucks fighting bums. But if we're lucky they'll at least get him Mares, that would be a good fight.
Stevenson vs Kovalev would obviously be awesome as fuck, but realistically there isn't going to be any real good fights on this undercard because alllllllll the money is going to Floyd and Pacquiao, their purse is taking everything.
Curious to see who Top Rank throws on here for their portion of the undercard. I doubt anything better than Santa Cruz but if they were smart they should have put Crawford on here for more exposure, he has big star potential. Could have pushed his fight back two weeks.
Stevenson vs Kovalev would obviously be awesome as fuck, but realistically there isn't going to be any real good fights on this undercard because alllllllll the money is going to Floyd and Pacquiao, their purse is taking everything.
Curious to see who Top Rank throws on here for their portion of the undercard. I doubt anything better than Santa Cruz but if they were smart they should have put Crawford on here for more exposure, he has big star potential. Could have pushed his fight back two weeks.
Props:
heyzel and heyzel
He's putting Lomachenko Vs. Gamalier Rodriguez
"Though it's been known to be in the works for a couple weeks now, today it was officially confirmed that Vasyl Lomachenko will defend the WBO featherweight title on May 2 against Gamalier Rodriguez, as part of the Mayweather-Pacquiao PPV undercard.
Lomachenko (3-1, 1 KO) doesn't have a big pro record, but he already holds a major title, and the two-time Olympic gold medalist is one of the most purely skilled fighters in the world. At 27, Lomachenko has wasted no time looking to join the elite ranks of the pro boxing world, as he fought for a world title in his second pro fight, a lesson-learning loss to veteran Orlando Salido, and won a vacant title in his third fight by beating Gary Russell Jr.
Lomachenko last fought on November 23, beating Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo in Macau on the Pacquiao-Algieri bill.
Rodriguez (25-2-3, 17 KO) was also recently connected to WBA titleholder Nicholas Walters as a potential opponent, but now has Lomachenko in his sights. The 28-year-old Puerto Rican isn't considered a serious contender in the division, but is on a 17-fight win streak dating back to 2011, all against marginal opposition of varying degrees. He racked up 11 of those wins fighting scrubs in the Dominican Republic, where he sort of rebuilt his career after starting 8-2-3. After the 11 wins in the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez has gone 4-0 in Puerto Rico, 1-0 in another fight in the Dominican, and 3-0 in the United States.
Lomachenko-Rodriguez will be one of just two undercard fights that are part of the PPV broadcast, rather than the standard three. This is Top Rank's addition to the card, while the other undercard fight will be from Mayweather Promotions.
"Though it's been known to be in the works for a couple weeks now, today it was officially confirmed that Vasyl Lomachenko will defend the WBO featherweight title on May 2 against Gamalier Rodriguez, as part of the Mayweather-Pacquiao PPV undercard.
Lomachenko (3-1, 1 KO) doesn't have a big pro record, but he already holds a major title, and the two-time Olympic gold medalist is one of the most purely skilled fighters in the world. At 27, Lomachenko has wasted no time looking to join the elite ranks of the pro boxing world, as he fought for a world title in his second pro fight, a lesson-learning loss to veteran Orlando Salido, and won a vacant title in his third fight by beating Gary Russell Jr.
Lomachenko last fought on November 23, beating Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo in Macau on the Pacquiao-Algieri bill.
Rodriguez (25-2-3, 17 KO) was also recently connected to WBA titleholder Nicholas Walters as a potential opponent, but now has Lomachenko in his sights. The 28-year-old Puerto Rican isn't considered a serious contender in the division, but is on a 17-fight win streak dating back to 2011, all against marginal opposition of varying degrees. He racked up 11 of those wins fighting scrubs in the Dominican Republic, where he sort of rebuilt his career after starting 8-2-3. After the 11 wins in the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez has gone 4-0 in Puerto Rico, 1-0 in another fight in the Dominican, and 3-0 in the United States.
Lomachenko-Rodriguez will be one of just two undercard fights that are part of the PPV broadcast, rather than the standard three. This is Top Rank's addition to the card, while the other undercard fight will be from Mayweather Promotions.
Cory the jinks Spinks beats zab on this day April 10 2004
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz1dodeXpYE
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz1dodeXpYE
Props:
WYNO707X4 and WYNO707X4
Spinks shouldnt have won that fight. Judah ended up getting his revenge so i guess it doesnt matter that much. I definitely remember watching the 2nd fight was on ppv if i remember correctly cuz my bro had a blackbox or something to where we was watching all the fights free. For some reason i dont even remember this fight. I must of known when i watched the 2nd fight that there was a 1st fight lol
Props:
heyzel and heyzel
I know heyzel posted one but wanted to post this one specifically..
Exactly 50 years ago today 2 future HOF'ers met for the lineal lightweight championship of the world. Ismael Laguna, undersized and fighting one of the best lightweights to ever put on a pair of gloves upset the great Carlos Ortiz in the 1st of 3 fights they'd have.
Ortiz is arguably top 3 one of the best Puerto Rican boxers ever and one of the 10 best lightweights to ever lace them up. Laguna came into the fight having spent most of his career at featherweight and under, Ortiz came into the fight feeling sick (fight was originally scheduled for a March date but Ortiz had the flu so bad it was postponed). You can definitely see the size disparity in the video.
I don't know how many people are into watching older fights like this, but definitely worth checking out if you do and haven't seen this yet.
Exactly 50 years ago today 2 future HOF'ers met for the lineal lightweight championship of the world. Ismael Laguna, undersized and fighting one of the best lightweights to ever put on a pair of gloves upset the great Carlos Ortiz in the 1st of 3 fights they'd have.
Ortiz is arguably top 3 one of the best Puerto Rican boxers ever and one of the 10 best lightweights to ever lace them up. Laguna came into the fight having spent most of his career at featherweight and under, Ortiz came into the fight feeling sick (fight was originally scheduled for a March date but Ortiz had the flu so bad it was postponed). You can definitely see the size disparity in the video.
I don't know how many people are into watching older fights like this, but definitely worth checking out if you do and haven't seen this yet.
Nothing of amazing significance, but a good heavyweight from 1992 happened on 04/11.
George Foreman Vs. Alex Stewart
George Foreman Vs. Alex Stewart
Props:
2-0-Sixx and 2-0-Sixx
PBC on NBC Doubles Ratings With 2 Controversial Fights
by Rian Mabry | Posted on Sunday, April 12th, 2015
Tweet about this on TwitterShare on FacebookEmail this to someoneShare on RedditShare on Google+
Garcia Peterson
So about Last Night, Two great fights, some confused fans and one great night for boxing. Being inside the Barclay Center for the fights last night is an amazing experience and gives even causal fans a different understanding of the sport. Premier Boxing Champions has to be happy with the quality of product each fight delivered. Luckily for fans that couldn’t attend the fights they were aired live on NBC. And NBC is seeing the benefit as ratings doubled. Even my mom tuned into NBC for the PBC fights. She thought Peterson and Quillin won each fight.
Peter Quillin and Andy Lee fight was battle 12 rounds that became almost a brawl at the end. Garcia and Lamont Peterson was a fight, Lamont was able one round away from stealing the win.
Andy Lee vs. Lamont Peterson
Originally this fight was for the middleweight title but Quillin didn’t make weight on Friday allowing Lee to retain the title regardless of the outcome. Still with no title on the line, this fight was fantastic start to finish. Coming to the ring the crowd inside the arena was electric for Andy Lee, almost forgetting that Quillin was the boy from Brooklyn. Quillin started the fight as if he had a chip on his shoulder. Through the first 5 rounds Quillin managed to knock down Lee twice. Lee footwork and legs looked very shaky going into the 6th. Lee corner must have told him that he needed to go on the attack to get back into. Through the first 6, Quillin was leaving himself open for counter from Lee but Lee wasn’t able to take advantage. That was until the 7th when Lee was able to knock down Quillin with a right. That knockdown gave Lee new confidence. Lee went on to win the next 4 rounds, making a great comeback from the 2 early drops. The 12th was 2 boxers just going at it, exchanging combos. Both boxers seem to understand that they needed to win the round to win the match. This was a great 12 round match of boxing. Andy Lee said Thursday that he doesn’t have boring matches and he surely didn’t have a boring match. In the end Lee and Quillin battled to a draw, Surely setting up a possible rematch and for the title. Andy Lee and Peter Quillin could have went another 12 and we’d be happy.
Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson
Garcia vs. Peterson was equally as great a match. Despite Garcia trying to blind us all with the neon green/yellow Nike’s. Peterson started slow, seeming more content with letting this go 12 rounds and being the judges decision. Keep in mind Garcia stated at the last presser that he was going for the knockout so this might have been Peterson strategy. Through 6 rounds Peterson had done more dancing around the ring then making contact with Garcia. If you’re going to dance around you have to show activity to give the judges something to value against. In round 7 Peterson seemingly hit a switch and came out the corner aggressive. Garcia couldn’t break away from aggressive shots of Peterson. Peterson kept moving towards Garcia, putting Garcia against the ropes and attacking. Peterson easily won rounds 7,8,& 9 heading into round 10 the more controversial round of the fight. Peterson was again the aggressor but some taunting allowed Garcia to steal a few shots. By the 12th round Garcia was completely gassed, but still manage to maintain some activity to keep the round close. This fight too, goes to judges decision. First judge scores a draw 114-114, second and third judge score 115-113 for Danny Garcia. Giving Danny Garcia the win by split decision. The judges rewarded activity of Garcia, Garcia kept activity to not lose the rounds to badly and stole some rounds after building up the lead through 6 rounds. Peterson lost the first 6 rounds by not having enough activity to maybe steal a round
by Rian Mabry | Posted on Sunday, April 12th, 2015
Tweet about this on TwitterShare on FacebookEmail this to someoneShare on RedditShare on Google+
Garcia Peterson
So about Last Night, Two great fights, some confused fans and one great night for boxing. Being inside the Barclay Center for the fights last night is an amazing experience and gives even causal fans a different understanding of the sport. Premier Boxing Champions has to be happy with the quality of product each fight delivered. Luckily for fans that couldn’t attend the fights they were aired live on NBC. And NBC is seeing the benefit as ratings doubled. Even my mom tuned into NBC for the PBC fights. She thought Peterson and Quillin won each fight.
Peter Quillin and Andy Lee fight was battle 12 rounds that became almost a brawl at the end. Garcia and Lamont Peterson was a fight, Lamont was able one round away from stealing the win.
Andy Lee vs. Lamont Peterson
Originally this fight was for the middleweight title but Quillin didn’t make weight on Friday allowing Lee to retain the title regardless of the outcome. Still with no title on the line, this fight was fantastic start to finish. Coming to the ring the crowd inside the arena was electric for Andy Lee, almost forgetting that Quillin was the boy from Brooklyn. Quillin started the fight as if he had a chip on his shoulder. Through the first 5 rounds Quillin managed to knock down Lee twice. Lee footwork and legs looked very shaky going into the 6th. Lee corner must have told him that he needed to go on the attack to get back into. Through the first 6, Quillin was leaving himself open for counter from Lee but Lee wasn’t able to take advantage. That was until the 7th when Lee was able to knock down Quillin with a right. That knockdown gave Lee new confidence. Lee went on to win the next 4 rounds, making a great comeback from the 2 early drops. The 12th was 2 boxers just going at it, exchanging combos. Both boxers seem to understand that they needed to win the round to win the match. This was a great 12 round match of boxing. Andy Lee said Thursday that he doesn’t have boring matches and he surely didn’t have a boring match. In the end Lee and Quillin battled to a draw, Surely setting up a possible rematch and for the title. Andy Lee and Peter Quillin could have went another 12 and we’d be happy.
Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson
Garcia vs. Peterson was equally as great a match. Despite Garcia trying to blind us all with the neon green/yellow Nike’s. Peterson started slow, seeming more content with letting this go 12 rounds and being the judges decision. Keep in mind Garcia stated at the last presser that he was going for the knockout so this might have been Peterson strategy. Through 6 rounds Peterson had done more dancing around the ring then making contact with Garcia. If you’re going to dance around you have to show activity to give the judges something to value against. In round 7 Peterson seemingly hit a switch and came out the corner aggressive. Garcia couldn’t break away from aggressive shots of Peterson. Peterson kept moving towards Garcia, putting Garcia against the ropes and attacking. Peterson easily won rounds 7,8,& 9 heading into round 10 the more controversial round of the fight. Peterson was again the aggressor but some taunting allowed Garcia to steal a few shots. By the 12th round Garcia was completely gassed, but still manage to maintain some activity to keep the round close. This fight too, goes to judges decision. First judge scores a draw 114-114, second and third judge score 115-113 for Danny Garcia. Giving Danny Garcia the win by split decision. The judges rewarded activity of Garcia, Garcia kept activity to not lose the rounds to badly and stole some rounds after building up the lead through 6 rounds. Peterson lost the first 6 rounds by not having enough activity to maybe steal a round
Cuenca, Yang ordered by IBF to fight
NEW YORK -- Even though Saturday night's fight between unified junior welterweight world champion Danny Garcia and titleholder Lamont Peterson was a nontitle bout contracted at a catch weight of 143 pounds, the outcome still cost Peterson his belt.
Peterson lost a majority decision at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and thus was stripped of his 140-pound world title by the IBF. Peterson would have not been stripped had he won his second nontitle bout in his last four fights.
With the belt now vacant -- and Peterson saying after the fight that he might be headed for the welterweight division anyway -- the IBF said Sunday that it will order 34-year-old Argentine southpaw Cesar Rene Cuenca (47-0, 2 KOs) to face South Korea's Ik Yang (19-0, 14 KOs), 30, to fight for it. Cuenca and Yang are the top fighters in the organization's rankings.
Cuenca is coming off a unanimous decision over Albert Mensah in a title eliminator last May in Argentina. Yang, a regular on Top Rank's cards in Macau, China, knocked out Patomsuk Pathompothong in the sixth round of a title eliminator on March 7 in Macau.
The fight between Cuenca and Yang, should a deal be made, could take place on Top Rank's next card in Macau, which is scheduled for July 18.
NEW YORK -- Even though Saturday night's fight between unified junior welterweight world champion Danny Garcia and titleholder Lamont Peterson was a nontitle bout contracted at a catch weight of 143 pounds, the outcome still cost Peterson his belt.
Peterson lost a majority decision at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and thus was stripped of his 140-pound world title by the IBF. Peterson would have not been stripped had he won his second nontitle bout in his last four fights.
With the belt now vacant -- and Peterson saying after the fight that he might be headed for the welterweight division anyway -- the IBF said Sunday that it will order 34-year-old Argentine southpaw Cesar Rene Cuenca (47-0, 2 KOs) to face South Korea's Ik Yang (19-0, 14 KOs), 30, to fight for it. Cuenca and Yang are the top fighters in the organization's rankings.
Cuenca is coming off a unanimous decision over Albert Mensah in a title eliminator last May in Argentina. Yang, a regular on Top Rank's cards in Macau, China, knocked out Patomsuk Pathompothong in the sixth round of a title eliminator on March 7 in Macau.
The fight between Cuenca and Yang, should a deal be made, could take place on Top Rank's next card in Macau, which is scheduled for July 18.
Pacquiao legend taking Mayweather out of his natural element
date April 12th, 2015 | Post Comment - 174 Comments
Share the post "Pacquiao legend taking Mayweather out of his natural element"
161Facebook12Twitter1Google+
By Sizzle JKD: Here’s the thing boxing fans, it is clear pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. is looking to find his inner toughness and warrior mentality as he prepares for the fight of his life against Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Since the hiring of former Team Pacquiao S&C coach Alex Ariza, a sudden shift in Mayweather’s training routine has taken place. A couple weeks ago, Mayweather undertook wood chopping as part of his regimen. Last week, he began swimming laps and increased the number of hours in his daily workouts, going as much as six consecutive hours.
“We just saw Floyd; he trained from 3 to 9 o’clock,” stated Maurice Lee to ESN News. Lee is a sparring partner of Mayweather.
Is it strategy or an act of desperation by the self-proclaimed “TBE?” Only time will tell.
Considering that the training norm for Mayweather has always been to include early morning runs at 1 or 2 a.m., should overtraining be a concern for the undefeated fighter? Is Floyd so concerned about what Pacquiao brings to the table that he has completely changed his game plan and preparation in hopes that he’ll be ready to tackle the greatest challenge of his life?
You better believe it.
“Mentally, I have to go back to where it all started from. I have to. Because he’s [Pacquiao] not just any other fighter,” Mayweather told Stephen A. Smith recently in a special “All Access” interview for ESPN.
Fighting Pacquiao is a whole different ballgame folks. He’s a whole different beast. And for a lot of Floyd’s fanatical followers, to think that Pacquiao will be “easy work” come May 2nd is a notion that is make-believe and preposterous because Floyd himself has never said Pacquiao will be “easy work” ever since he began training for this fight last month.
Let me make this clear right now. There is no such thing as a “B-side” to Pacquiao’s fighting skills and determination to win. And best believe Mayweather and his entire team knows it.
Which is why Floyd has decided to up the ante in his training. Mayweather is a serious man on a mission and he will do everything it takes to make sure he comes out on top. If Floyd feels he needs to climb Mount Everest to beat Pacquiao, he’ll do it.
The perceived notion about Floyd has always been that he prefers not to engage in toe-to-toe battles in the ring; that Floyd hates seeing blood and prefers not to slug it out in order to preserve his pretty face. While this may be true in his past fights, Floyd’s actions of late suggest the complete opposite: he’s ready to go to war with Pacquiao.
Case in point. David Mayo of Mlive.com, who has been following Mayweather for many years, recently had the privilege of being inside the Mayweather Boxing Club to watch Floyd train.
According to Mayo, Floyd had “a split lip and injured hands…He sparred through the surely excruciating pain of superficial skin marks on his knuckles…he sparred with the split lip, then when the session ended, he walked to one of the large mirrors in the boxing gym, peeled down the lip to inspect it more closely…then ordered another sparring partner back into the ring for a second session, presumably to split the lip even more.”
Is Mayweather trying to summon his inner warrior? You bet your bottom dollar he is.
Don’t think for one second that Mayweather isn’t aware of the reports coming out of the Pacquiao camp, leg cramps and make-believe “lump eyes” notwithstanding.
Pacquiao is “super fast,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ABS-CBN newscaster Dyan Castillejo yesterday. “The fastest I’ve seen him, ever.”
Buboy Fernandez said to Inquirer.net, “For me, [Pacquiao’s] now at 100 percent. His moves, his speed, stamina are already there. I’d say his form is better than when he fought [Oscar] De La Hoya.”
Other quotes from the Pacquiao camp courtesy of Philboxing.com came after yesterday’s training and cite Manny as having “never been so quick and so strong as a boxer. He doesn’t get tired and his tolerance to pain is unbelievable,” according to assistant trainer Nonoy Neri.
Pacquia’s “hard work and attitude in training is beyond compare,” added Fernandez.
In the minds of Team Pacquiao, Manny is ready to rumble for 20 rounds inside the squared circle against Mayweather.
Hard work and dedication. A phrase long associated with Floyd Mayweather has finally met its match in Pacquiao. And Mayweather has taken notice. Advanced notice, at that.
This is why on May 2, I fully expect a role reversal from Mayweather once the bell rings. Floyd won’t wait around for Manny to be the aggressor. Floyd won’t be content to pot shot and throw single counter punches for 12 rounds. What Floyd will do instead is use his size and reach advantage to bully Pacquiao. Floyd will come out as the aggressor and will attempt to match, or perhaps exceed, Pacquiao’s punch output.
At first glance, one would wonder why Floyd will veer away from what’s made him successful in the past. However, there are tremendous strategic advantages for Floyd to come out as the aggressor. For one thing, if Floyd can match Pacquiao’s punch output and land a higher percentage, Floyd will win the scorecards.
Secondly, if Floyd executes the aggressor role to perfection, he will in essence disrupt Pacquiao’s rhythm thereby causing Pacquiao to throw less punches because one possible scenario could be that Pacquiao becomes more tentative if Floyd can actually hurt Pacquiao.
The only fighter than can make Manny think twice about his transgressions is a fighter who can bloody Pacquiao and throw off Pacquiao’s rhythm by delivering impacting power shots. Erik Morales did it in his win against Pacquiao, and so did Juan Manuel Marquez. Miguel Cotto tried to do it against Pacquiao but Cotto’s problem was that he couldn’t sustain it and he failed to match Manny’s punch output. What made Morales and Marquez highly successful against Pacquiao was that both fighters were relentless in their counter-punching, and both fighters weren’t afraid to throw combinations which had bad intentions written all over them.
So while we may only see spurts of Floyd and Manny going toe-to-toe, I am almost 100 percent sure we will see Floyd immediately try to dictate the tempo and pace of the first half of the fight by being the aggressor and walk Manny down. Floyd will severely test Pacquiao’s ability to fight going backwards. Will Manny’s feet let him down, as he tries to nullify Floyd’s advances and find ways to counter the more aggressive Mayweather? Trust me, I’m just as excited as you are to find out.
If Mayweather can win the majority of rounds in the first half of the fight, establish that he’s got the more powerful punches than Manny, make Manny think twice about attacking, and hence control the rhythm of the bout, then expect Floyd to re-adjust and revert back to his more natural element and style in the latter half of the fight. Because once Mayweather can cause Manny to become tentative and take away Manny’s biggest strength, Mayweather can start to fight more comfortably in the pocket, pot shot and counter, and use his elusiveness and movement to frustrate Pacquiao on his way to a victory.
The only way I can visualize Floyd winning this fight is for him to win the first half of the fight by being more aggressive than Pacquiao and set the tone. If Floyd can establish his presence as the more powerful puncher, it will allow him to fight more freely throughout the latter rounds. But if Floyd cannot establish his power, and if Pacquiao walks right through Floyd’s shots, then Mayweather can forget about an undefeated career.
Sometimes the path to ultimate success entails taking risks and going out of one’s element. On May 2, you can expect Mayweather to try and fight more like Pacquiao and Pacquiao to try and box more like Mayweather.
It’s going to be one hell of a fight.
date April 12th, 2015 | Post Comment - 174 Comments
Share the post "Pacquiao legend taking Mayweather out of his natural element"
161Facebook12Twitter1Google+
By Sizzle JKD: Here’s the thing boxing fans, it is clear pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. is looking to find his inner toughness and warrior mentality as he prepares for the fight of his life against Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Since the hiring of former Team Pacquiao S&C coach Alex Ariza, a sudden shift in Mayweather’s training routine has taken place. A couple weeks ago, Mayweather undertook wood chopping as part of his regimen. Last week, he began swimming laps and increased the number of hours in his daily workouts, going as much as six consecutive hours.
“We just saw Floyd; he trained from 3 to 9 o’clock,” stated Maurice Lee to ESN News. Lee is a sparring partner of Mayweather.
Is it strategy or an act of desperation by the self-proclaimed “TBE?” Only time will tell.
Considering that the training norm for Mayweather has always been to include early morning runs at 1 or 2 a.m., should overtraining be a concern for the undefeated fighter? Is Floyd so concerned about what Pacquiao brings to the table that he has completely changed his game plan and preparation in hopes that he’ll be ready to tackle the greatest challenge of his life?
You better believe it.
“Mentally, I have to go back to where it all started from. I have to. Because he’s [Pacquiao] not just any other fighter,” Mayweather told Stephen A. Smith recently in a special “All Access” interview for ESPN.
Fighting Pacquiao is a whole different ballgame folks. He’s a whole different beast. And for a lot of Floyd’s fanatical followers, to think that Pacquiao will be “easy work” come May 2nd is a notion that is make-believe and preposterous because Floyd himself has never said Pacquiao will be “easy work” ever since he began training for this fight last month.
Let me make this clear right now. There is no such thing as a “B-side” to Pacquiao’s fighting skills and determination to win. And best believe Mayweather and his entire team knows it.
Which is why Floyd has decided to up the ante in his training. Mayweather is a serious man on a mission and he will do everything it takes to make sure he comes out on top. If Floyd feels he needs to climb Mount Everest to beat Pacquiao, he’ll do it.
The perceived notion about Floyd has always been that he prefers not to engage in toe-to-toe battles in the ring; that Floyd hates seeing blood and prefers not to slug it out in order to preserve his pretty face. While this may be true in his past fights, Floyd’s actions of late suggest the complete opposite: he’s ready to go to war with Pacquiao.
Case in point. David Mayo of Mlive.com, who has been following Mayweather for many years, recently had the privilege of being inside the Mayweather Boxing Club to watch Floyd train.
According to Mayo, Floyd had “a split lip and injured hands…He sparred through the surely excruciating pain of superficial skin marks on his knuckles…he sparred with the split lip, then when the session ended, he walked to one of the large mirrors in the boxing gym, peeled down the lip to inspect it more closely…then ordered another sparring partner back into the ring for a second session, presumably to split the lip even more.”
Is Mayweather trying to summon his inner warrior? You bet your bottom dollar he is.
Don’t think for one second that Mayweather isn’t aware of the reports coming out of the Pacquiao camp, leg cramps and make-believe “lump eyes” notwithstanding.
Pacquiao is “super fast,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ABS-CBN newscaster Dyan Castillejo yesterday. “The fastest I’ve seen him, ever.”
Buboy Fernandez said to Inquirer.net, “For me, [Pacquiao’s] now at 100 percent. His moves, his speed, stamina are already there. I’d say his form is better than when he fought [Oscar] De La Hoya.”
Other quotes from the Pacquiao camp courtesy of Philboxing.com came after yesterday’s training and cite Manny as having “never been so quick and so strong as a boxer. He doesn’t get tired and his tolerance to pain is unbelievable,” according to assistant trainer Nonoy Neri.
Pacquia’s “hard work and attitude in training is beyond compare,” added Fernandez.
In the minds of Team Pacquiao, Manny is ready to rumble for 20 rounds inside the squared circle against Mayweather.
Hard work and dedication. A phrase long associated with Floyd Mayweather has finally met its match in Pacquiao. And Mayweather has taken notice. Advanced notice, at that.
This is why on May 2, I fully expect a role reversal from Mayweather once the bell rings. Floyd won’t wait around for Manny to be the aggressor. Floyd won’t be content to pot shot and throw single counter punches for 12 rounds. What Floyd will do instead is use his size and reach advantage to bully Pacquiao. Floyd will come out as the aggressor and will attempt to match, or perhaps exceed, Pacquiao’s punch output.
At first glance, one would wonder why Floyd will veer away from what’s made him successful in the past. However, there are tremendous strategic advantages for Floyd to come out as the aggressor. For one thing, if Floyd can match Pacquiao’s punch output and land a higher percentage, Floyd will win the scorecards.
Secondly, if Floyd executes the aggressor role to perfection, he will in essence disrupt Pacquiao’s rhythm thereby causing Pacquiao to throw less punches because one possible scenario could be that Pacquiao becomes more tentative if Floyd can actually hurt Pacquiao.
The only fighter than can make Manny think twice about his transgressions is a fighter who can bloody Pacquiao and throw off Pacquiao’s rhythm by delivering impacting power shots. Erik Morales did it in his win against Pacquiao, and so did Juan Manuel Marquez. Miguel Cotto tried to do it against Pacquiao but Cotto’s problem was that he couldn’t sustain it and he failed to match Manny’s punch output. What made Morales and Marquez highly successful against Pacquiao was that both fighters were relentless in their counter-punching, and both fighters weren’t afraid to throw combinations which had bad intentions written all over them.
So while we may only see spurts of Floyd and Manny going toe-to-toe, I am almost 100 percent sure we will see Floyd immediately try to dictate the tempo and pace of the first half of the fight by being the aggressor and walk Manny down. Floyd will severely test Pacquiao’s ability to fight going backwards. Will Manny’s feet let him down, as he tries to nullify Floyd’s advances and find ways to counter the more aggressive Mayweather? Trust me, I’m just as excited as you are to find out.
If Mayweather can win the majority of rounds in the first half of the fight, establish that he’s got the more powerful punches than Manny, make Manny think twice about attacking, and hence control the rhythm of the bout, then expect Floyd to re-adjust and revert back to his more natural element and style in the latter half of the fight. Because once Mayweather can cause Manny to become tentative and take away Manny’s biggest strength, Mayweather can start to fight more comfortably in the pocket, pot shot and counter, and use his elusiveness and movement to frustrate Pacquiao on his way to a victory.
The only way I can visualize Floyd winning this fight is for him to win the first half of the fight by being more aggressive than Pacquiao and set the tone. If Floyd can establish his presence as the more powerful puncher, it will allow him to fight more freely throughout the latter rounds. But if Floyd cannot establish his power, and if Pacquiao walks right through Floyd’s shots, then Mayweather can forget about an undefeated career.
Sometimes the path to ultimate success entails taking risks and going out of one’s element. On May 2, you can expect Mayweather to try and fight more like Pacquiao and Pacquiao to try and box more like Mayweather.
It’s going to be one hell of a fight.