This just in: As the big wait continues for Mayweather Pacquiao tickets, Boxing writer Manuel Perez says welterweight wizard Manny Pacquiao will be systematically destroyed in the Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight if he fails to raise his game beyond anything he has at the moment. Pacman’s “limited skills” mean he currently has the status of “a fighter with a ‘hit me’ sign tapped to his head in his fights”, according to Perez.
Perez – who is often controversial in his opinions on boxing – claims that “Pacquiao blocks nothing other than with his face, and [Perez] really fears for him against a talented fighter like Mayweather”. The fact is, Manny Pacquiao can take it as wel as give it, but the big question is, can he take what Mayweather can dish out? The claims by Perez that it is “easy” to hit Pacquiao (he even claims Ricky Hatton was hitting Pacquiao before he was knocked out!) are to be taken with a grain of salt. The fact is, if Mayweather wins this fight then he is simply the best boxer in the world today. It will be Mayweather’s unique combination of stamina, accuracy and boxing intelligence that win the day, not any inability on Pacman’s part to dodge punches.
There are those who claim that all of Pacquiao’s biggest fights were against slow opponents, but if this is the case, how were they able to hit him easily? Perez’s claims that Pacquiao has no experience against faster punchers is surely part of the mind-games in the run up to this massive fight. It is hard to imagine anyone other than Mayweather beating Pacquiao at this point, and may the best man win. With both fighters weighing in at 147, there’ll be no clear weight advantage, and this could prove the cause of a huge upset for Mayweather. The probability of the larger man losing are slim, however; Mayweather doesn’t mess about. Ever. Pacquiao will have to be primed to the max by Freddie Roach. We know Roach can read his opponents’ styles and weaknesses to the letter, though, and if even Mayweather is open to Roach’s killer analysis, then Pacman will stand a chance.
To say that Pacquiao can’t take a punch is ridiculous; he took too many to count against Cotto and still he hammered Cotto. That is the proof of a good boxer. Manny, don’t let this guy get to you. If you’re a boxing fan and you plan to buy Pacquiao Mayweather tickets, buy your tickets and head to Vegas; you’re gonna be lucky enough to see one of the greatest fights in boxing history!