RealGM

Presented to us by Top Rank Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions:
Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Date: March 13, 2010
Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas

Titles On The Line: Manny Pacquiao's WBO Welterweight Championship
Maximum Weight: 147
Provider: HBO PPV (US)

Main Event:
Manny Pacquiao (c)

Record: 50 (KO 38)-3-2
Fight Night Age: 31
Weight: TBA
Height: 5'6
Reach: 67"
Stance: Southpaw
Last Fight: Miguel Cotto W TKO12
Notable Wins: Ricky Hatton KO2; Oscar De La Hoya RTD8; Juan Manuel Marquez SD12; Marco Antonio Barrera UD12 & TKO11; Erik Morales KO3 & TKO10
Notable Loss: Erik Morales UD12
Trainer: Freddie Roach
Other Notes: Currently ranked Number 1 on The Ring's Pound-for-Pound list, former WBC Flyweight Champion, former Flyweight lineal champion, former IBF Super Bantamweight Champion, former The Ring Featherweight Champion, former WBC Super Featherweight Champion, former The Ring Junior Lightweight Champion, former WBC Lightweight Champion, current The Ring Junior Welterweight Champion, current WBO Welterweight Champion, making first defense of WBO Welterweight Championship Belt, making third trip above 140


Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Record: 40 (KO 25)-0-0
Fight Night Age: 33
Weight: TBA
Height: 5'8
Reach: 72"
Stance: Orthodox
Last Fight: Juan Manuel Marquez W UD12
Notable Wins: Ricky Hatton TKO12; Oscar De La Hoya SD12; Zab Judah UD12; Arturo Gatti RTD6; Jose Luis Castillo UD12 & UD12
Notable Loss: None
Trainer: TBA (Current Trainer Roger Mayweather may undergo trial and/or sentencing from legal matters)
Other Notes: Currently ranked Number 2 on The Ring's Pound-for-Pound list, former WBC Super Featherweight Champion, former The Ring Lightweight champion, former WBC Lightweight Champion, former WBC Light Welterweight Champion, former The Ring Welterweight Champion, former IBF Welterweight Champion, former WBC Welterweight Champion, former WBC Light Middleweight Champion, making sixth trip above 140 below 154

Judges:
TBA

Undercard:
Televised:
TBA
Not Televised:
TBA

Details are still being worked out.
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing ... id=4715684

For promotional purposes, the bout will be referred to as Mayweather-Pacquiao

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4715684

Just sayin' I think the title needs to be changed to reflect this.

Mayweather rolls to 41-0 when all is said and done.

Hearing the excuses from all the Mayweather haters is going to be hilarious when he takes out Pac with relative ease. And I swear to God all this "ducking" nonsense needs to end. He's fighting who everyone is calling the "best", so if he's not on your short list after his W, you're either spiteful or just ignorant.

PBF ALL DAY!

WashWiz54 wrote:

For promotional purposes, the bout will be referred to as Mayweather-Pacquiao

Just sayin' I think the title needs to be changed to reflect this.

I'm willing to bet they'll come up with a title, but if they certainly don't, I'll change it.


Mayweather rolls to 41-0 when all is said and done.

Hearing the excuses from all the Mayweather haters is going to be hilarious when he takes out Pac with relative ease.

Yeah? How would he go about doing this?

And I swear to God all this "ducking" nonsense needs to end. He's fighting who everyone is calling the "best", so if he's not on your short list after his W, you're either spiteful or just ignorant.

I'm sorry, but he deserves all the criticism he's gotten over the last 7-8 years. It was cherry-picking to its finest. Hopefully by taking a fight against Pacquiao at 147, he might begin to salvage what's left of his long term legacy whether win, lose, or draw.

WashWiz54 wrote:
Mayweather rolls to 41-0 when all is said and done.

Hearing the excuses from all the Mayweather haters is going to be hilarious when he takes out Pac with relative ease. And I swear to God all this "ducking" nonsense needs to end. He's fighting who everyone is calling the "best", so if he's not on your short list after his W, you're either spiteful or just ignorant.

PBF ALL DAY!

Rich Rane wrote:I'm sorry, but he deserves all the criticism he's gotten over the last 7-8 years. It was cherry-picking to its finest. Hopefully by taking a fight against Pacquiao at 147, he might begin to salvage what's left of his long term legacy whether win, lose, or draw.

Totally.

He's the msot beautiful fighter I've seen in the ring, but how can you not say he's ducked and cherry-picked? In reverse chronology:

JMM
Hatton
DLH
Baldomir
Judah
Mitchell
Gatti
Bruseles
Corley
N'Dou
Sosa

That's pathetic.

All those fights, no Mosley, no Cotto. Look, on the other hand, at how Mosley and DLH have always sought out insane showdowns.

Initial thought is Mayweather by decision. Tough fight to call though.

Thank God this is happening. This is going to be amazing.

Manny by KO in middle rounds.

People seem to underestimate his speed and power every single time.

Korr wrote:Manny by KO in middle rounds.

People seem to underestimate his speed and power every single time.

Not really, yes I agree Pac Man is fast, but IMO Mayweather is faster. And Pac Man has not fought a fighter with the caliber defense Floyd has. Remember Mayweather has superior defense and his defense is the best in the game.

Nemesis21 wrote:Not really, yes I agree Pac Man is fast, but IMO Mayweather is faster.

Mayweather has the better head movement. They equal in handspeed. Pacquiao has the better footwork.

And Pac Man has not fought a fighter with the caliber defense Floyd has.

Mayweather has not fought anyone in terms of Pacquiao's caliber, not just defensively. Pacquiao will definitely take a punch to throw 4 solid ones. For Mayweather to win this, I honestly believe he'll have to steal rounds to win this fight because I don't see him trading with Pacquiao. Pacquiao's chin is proven and Mayweather doesn't have the power of someone like Cotto to halt a patiently planned relentless assault. He also can't wait for Pacquiao to tire simply just because he doesn't. Mayweather is also facing the best arsenal in all of boxing. It's one thing to get out of the way of punches he might see coming, but one of the biggest reasons why Pacquiao has been disposing guys lately is because of the punches his opponents don't see coming. With all the bobbing and weaving, using ever inch of the ring, and throwing and taking some punches, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that Mayweather could actually tire out before Pacquiao. Mayweather's head movement can help him escape, but it's Pacquiao's footwork that can control the ring.

Mayweather's shoulder roll defense has been a huge part of his undefeated record, but it's proven that it's encountered some good resistance against southpaws. Look for Pacquiao to use that amazing left with hooks and 45s to do some good damage. Pacquiao had trouble with an amazing counterpuncher with Marquez back at 126 and 130, but no one really knows how much of that will be evident with Mayweather since Pacquiao has become a much different fighter since his last fight with Marquez. Hell, he's become a much different and improved fighter with each bout.

If they continue to trade, Pacquiao by KO. If it's Pacquiao stalking the entire fight and Mayweather's stamina holds, the fight could go either way.

Pacquiao's speed is underrated in the sense that people know he's fast, but he always seems to be faster than anyone expects. His hand speed is faster than Mayweather at welterweight, Floyd no longer throws more than 3 punches at a time in succession. Manny pulls off those ridiculous combos where he throws 10+ punches to his opponents 1. His foot speed is also faster, and his ring generalship is at the point where he can get inside and out whenever he wants, he can throw concussive punches with both hands from any angle and any position.

The main advantage for Mayweather isn't that he's faster or stronger than Pacquiao, it's that he's smarter. He can sense how he has to fight in the first few rounds and adjust accordingly. He may be the smartest and most adaptable boxer since the Leonard/Duran days. Contrary to popular belief, Mayweather can fight in any style. He can control the fight at a distance, he can fight inside, he can go toe-to-toe or he can potshot his opponent to death.

The way I see it playing out, there are two things that will surprise people. One is how Pacquiao will be able not just get to Mayweather early, but how easily he can get to him. Roach laid on the basic game plan already. Manny is going to go in and out and hit whatever Mayweather gives him. Elbows, forearms, whatever. Break Floyd down early so he can take him out late.

The other thing that's going to shock people is how Mayweather is able to dig deep and battle when he's forced into a fight. There's this silly line of thinking that Mayweather is too defensive and runs all night. That is a lie. He's proven in the Castillo and Augustus and the Corley fights that he won't back down from a firefight if his opponent makes him fight. Pacquiao is going to force him into a fight. And Floyd will fight back.

I'm calling it right now, this will be a surprising Fight of the Year candidate. The Hagler/Leonard of this generation.

KNICKS1970 wrote:He's proven in the Castillo and Augustus and the Corley fights that he won't back down from a firefight if his opponent makes him fight.

In both Castillo fights, the rounds he won were the ones he kept at a distance. Anytime he allowed Castillo in, he took good shots and lost rounds, though the judges didn't see that in the first fight.

Corley nor Augustus have any of the ring abilities of Pacquiao in terms of speed and power to back Mayweather off although one would argue and wonder why Mayweather didn't trade with lesser competition like Marquez or with Judah and his dirty tactics during the later rounds.

I stand by my statement. Mayweather should not look to trade with Pacquiao...at all. Regrettably, I also believe this has more of a chance of being a boring fight than a bout that will be talked about for decades.

Rich Rane wrote:

KNICKS1970 wrote:He's proven in the Castillo and Augustus and the Corley fights that he won't back down from a firefight if his opponent makes him fight.

In both Castillo fights, the rounds he won were the ones he kept at a distance. Anytime he allowed Castillo in, he took good shots and lost rounds, though the judges didn't see that in the first fight.

Corley nor Augustus have any of the ring abilities of Pacquiao in terms of speed and power to back Mayweather off although one would argue and wonder why Mayweather didn't trade with lesser competition like Marquez or with Judah and his dirty tactics during the later rounds.

I stand by my statement. Mayweather should not look to trade with Pacquiao...at all. Regrettably, I also believe this has more of a chance of being a boring fight than a bout that will be talked about for decades.

Before Round 11 of the first Castillo fight, Roger told him "You're going to have to stand in front of him and fight." And he did just that.

He won't look to trade, but Mayweather is smart enough to see how the fight is going and adjust tactics. He'll be forced into a fight with Pacquiao. And he will fight back.

I don't want to pick a winner yet, although I am leaning towards Mayweather. And I refuse to believe that Manny Pacquiao could be in a boring fight. The guy makes hitting the mitts with Freddie Roach exciting.

Mayweather will try to use his reach advantage and probably tie and hug pacquiao if he gets hit. I dont think pacquiao has the chasing ability to pull the win. Mayweather will be constantly backpedaling and range Pacquiao. Mayweather will control most of the fight but if he makes many mistakes, Pacquiao will win.

WashWiz54 wrote: Hearing the excuses from all the Mayweather haters is going to be hilarious when he takes out Pac with relative ease.

Relative ease lol. This is a defining moment in both fighters career and probably their toughest fight. Nothing will be easy.

Mayweather isn't going to win by stoppage unless he loads his gloves. The fight can really go either way. It just depends on Manny's ability to corner Mayweather and not let Mayweather "box." If it goes the full 12, Mayweather by decision. Otherwise, Manny puts Mayweather on the ground. Mayweather would be stupid to go toe to toe with Manny. He'll have to fight strategically through out the fight.

Great posts, K1970 and Rich Rane!

just re-posting from the other Pacman/Money thread

merely going by the axioms of the sweet science Money May's got the edge ... his D and pure boxing skills are second to none ... BUT Floyd has been known to have problems with southpaws early in fights (DeMarcus Corley and Zab Judah) and Pacman is faster and has more power than either of those guys ... and in Floyd's fight with Ricky Hatton, Ricky got to him early by pressuring, almost knocking him down ... and we all know what Pacman's punch output is every fight ... so for those that simply dismiss Manny, by saying Floyd will outbox him all day, may be in for a big surprise ... I just don't see Manny losing ... as for the actual fight, I do see Floyd controlling the early going with his jab and utilizing his patened "shoulder roll" (which neutralizes orthodox fighters) ... but Manny being a southpaw, I see him catching Floyd with his 45's (uppercut/hook), which will change the fight in the mid-rounds ... Manny by TKO in the championship (11th or 12th) rounds ...

KNICKS1970 wrote:Before Round 11 of the first Castillo fight, Roger told him "You're going to have to stand in front of him and fight." And he did just that.

It was more of a stand to punch and then MOVE. Nothing about going toe-to-toe with Castillo. I also had Castillo definitely winning the 12th anyway and the 11th could've been scored either way. I had Mayweather winning the 10th, but scored it even with the point deduction.

And I refuse to believe that Manny Pacquiao could be in a boring fight. The guy makes hitting the mitts with Freddie Roach exciting.

ManualRam said it best. When you match two fast guys, don't get your hopes up too high for a "holy crap, I can't believe what we just witnessed" kind of fight.



UPDATE: Dallas is out of the running to host the fight.
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5699 ... in-stadium

There is one factor nobody mentioned yet, which i think might be the difference.

Pacquiao has the hall of famer Freddie Roach.

disoblige wrote:There is one factor nobody mentioned yet, which i think might be the difference.

Pacquiao has the hall of famer Freddie Roach.

fair point ... fight strategy somewhat plays a factor ... but as the sane Mike Tyson once said "everyone comes in with a strategy, until they get hit" ... and you see it all the time, when most (if not all) boxers get hit, they revert back to what they've always been ... when Manny gets hit, he returns to his brawling ways ... when Floyd gets hit, he reverts to his defensive shell ... I guess the question in this fight is, who gets to who first? ...