A group of trainers and former opponents have revealed the secrets of how to beat both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports spoke to former wold champions Oscar de La Hoya and Juan Manuel Marquez, two of the five men who have come up against both of Saturday’s protagonists.
He also spoke to Al Mitchell (Floyd Mayweather’s former Olympic boxing coach) and former boxing coach of the year Dan Birmingham – in other words, a group of people in the world of boxing who know the game and each of the fighters intimately. The results were fascinating – you can read the full piece here, but we’ve distilled the key lines from each of them.
Oscar de la Hoya (Beaten in eight rounds by Pacquiao in 2008, lost on points to Mayweather in 2007)
“For Pacquiao to win, the key is going to be his legs. He’s not a Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero, Victor Ortiz or especially [Marcos] Maidana.
“Pacquiao’s more versatile. He moves in and out and side to side, and he’ll present challenges to Mayweather that way. But to me, the one factor that will determine it for Manny is his legs.
“If he can keep up that in-and-out, side-to-side thing and throw a lot of punches and not get tired, he’ll cause Floyd a lot of problems.”
Juan Manuel Marquez (Drew with Pacquiao in 2004, lost to him in 2008 and 2011, knocked him out in 2012. Outclassed by Mayweather in 2009.)
“Pacquiao has more power, for sure, but Mayweather’s style is very complicated. If you’re training for him, you have to work very hard on the plan, and understand what Mayweather is thinking.
Mayweather has great experience and his technique is excellent and there are many layers to what he does.”
Al Mitchell – Floyd Mayweather’s former Olympic boxing coach
“I think [Mayweather] will beat [Pacquiao] around the body quite a bit early. That’s what I’d tell him. I’d just want Floyd to be aware of how, when Manny hops in like he does, that he leaves himself open.
“Manny has a little speed and he throws punches, but he’s wide open. I mean, wide open.
“I think Floyd should use that double jab. Jab to the body and then bring it up. Break down the body and the head will fall. I think he’s going to stop him around the seventh or so.
“I know Floyd will be looking him over and figuring him out, and people might say that’s starting slow. But Floyd is so smart and when he gets a sense of the timing and sees how open this guy is, he’s going to really tee off, I think.
“Mayweather has a very, very high boxing IQ. I knew right away that this was a kid who understood the game. He came from a boxing family and he had that boxing IQ like he had been around for years and years. It came natural to him…. [after watching him switch tactics effortlessly in one fight] I said, ‘Whoa, this kid is better than I thought he was.’ He was hitting him with lead right hands, lead hooks, and I said to myself right then and there that this was a kid who really and truly could win the gold.”
2004 Boxing Coach of the Year Dan Birmingham
“There is a blueprint to beating everybody. I don’t think Manny will do it by laying on top of him and trying to be a warrior. I think he should keep on the outside, keep the right angle and just stay a half-step away. He’s going to have to engage at some point in the fight, especially when Floyd puts on the pressure, which is usually in the later rounds.
“This is the part of the game plan that in my mind is so important. He has to be tricky. He has to use his stutter step and his short step rhythm. I’d have him feint constantly, especially after he starts using his straight punches. There is an art to stutter stepping and being tricky on the approach, and I’d work on that over and over.”