THREE WEAKNESSES IN MAYWEATHER; CAN MOSLEY OR PACQUIAO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM?

This past Saturday night, Manny Pacquiao exhibited through 12 rounds why he is considered to be the pound-for-pound best fighter in boxing. According to CompuBox punch statistics, he threw 1,231 punches and thoroughly dominated his opponent, Joshua Clottey, whose output was a meager 399.  That being said, Clottey is a defensive-minded fighter, so when 1,231 punches were coming at him with blinding speed from unorthodox angles, he curled up into a shell like a turtle. The fight lacked drama and many in boxing circles predicted that it would conclude that way. Regardless, Pacman fever rages on!

But that was not the bout fans wanted to see.  Floyd Mayweather was supposed to be the one standing on the other side of the ring to lock horns with "The Pacman."  Pacquiao's refusal to submit to the demands of Mayweather, regarding USDA blood-testing, has temporarily delayed the proposed mega-event. Make no mistake about it, the fight will happen, just has boxing genius Cus D'Amato presciently made the proclamation that 2 teenage fighters, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis, would one day meet again in the professional ranks. Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will eventually face each other; it is destiny. The monetary gains that will be acquired by the parties involved will be astronomical to say the least. Pay-per-views buys will eclipse any record the sport has accomplished in the past.

When these 2 pugilistic dynamos finally do meet in the squared circle, what will be the outcome? Floyd is the undefeated one, and in my estimation, it will be more difficult for Manny to win over Floyd than Floyd over Manny. In every outing, Mayweather illustrates just how tactical, skilled, intelligent, accurate, and versatile he is.  In his last bout with Juan Manuel Marquez, it was a one-sided event.  In fact, in many of his bouts, the skill set that he possesses, combined with his sheer athletic prowess, make him look virtually unstoppable. He is a magnificent and once in a lifetime talent to behold! However, no one is invincible. There are a few weaknesses in Mayweather's game that can be exploited if the Pacman is able to do it.

1. THE KANGAROO LEFT HOOK
   Floyd has this move that he executes with amazing athleticism and speed. He leaps in with a left hook. Some have called it "The Kangaroo Left Hook." Floyd Patterson, Charlie Burley, and other great fighters have incorporated this move in their arsenal. It takes exceptional speed and timing for it to be effective. Floyd does this in many of his fights. He nailed Juan Manuel Marquez with it time after time and actually knocked him down in the 2nd round with the same move. However, when he leaps in like this, he leaves himself wide open, but only for a split second. His right hand slightly drops and his chin is exposed. No one has been able to capitalize off of this because of the blinding speed in which Floyd executes it. If Manny is able to slip under Floyd's leaping left and counter it with a RIGHT hook of his own, he would be effective. Another approach for Manny, which is the most difficult, is to TIME Floyd leaping in with one of his own shorter LEFT hooks. This might spell doom for Floyd. Watch the 2nd round of Marquez vs. Mayweather and slow-mo the knockdown; you will see exactly how Floyd leaves himself wide open for a well-timed shot.
   
   
2. FALLING BACK ONTO THE ROPES
   Floyd has a habit of reverting backwards to the ropes. He is very comfortable when his opponent comes in. When they try to unload on him, Floyd, for the most part, shoulder rolls out of harm's way and effortlessly counters with rights hands. Notwithstanding, some fighters have found success in landing on Floyd, for he puts himself in a position of vulnerability. His right glove is usually by his chin and when he pulls straight back, his left hand typically dangles by his waist. Many times, Oscar De lahoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Jose Luis Castillo, Ricky Hatton,and even Emmanuel Augustus pinned Floyd up against the ropes and they landed more punches than Floyd avoided. With Manny's swarming offensive style, he would give Floyd fits. Against the ropes, Floyd is vulnerable to body shots as well. The type of body shots that Manny delivered on Clottey were devastating. Pacquiao is very proficient going downstairs.
   
   
3. VERY ECONOMICAL PUNCH OUTPUT
   According to CompuBox stats, Floyd's output average is around 40 punches per round, but with a 48% connect rate. That is an average of 480 punches in a 12 round fight.  When Floyd is in this comfort zone, he is very relaxed and in his own rhythm and dictates to his opponents. The domination that he showed over the late warrior Diego Corrales was embarrassing to say the least. Floyd was fighting Floyd's fight at Floyd's pace.  "Money May" has what I call "reflexive speed" and when he catches his opponents with it, they are stunned. His opponents tend to think twice about letting their hands go.
   
   Manny's objective must be to make Mayweather fight at a different tempo. It will bring him out of his comfort zone. Zab Judah did this for the 1st half of their fight and even knocked Floyd down with a right hook in the 2nd. . Mayweather's right hand touched the canvas, but referee Richard Steele missed the call. Zab was beating Floyd to the punch and was fighting at a tempo that Floyd could not handle.  Zab fizzled out as the fight went into the last half and Floyd came back and won.  Manny has a tsunami like punching style. At times, he throws 8-punch combinations from the southpaw stance at very unorthodox angles. This will befuddle Floyd and could make him fight Manny's fight as Zab Judah did. Floyd will be taken out of his comfort zone.
   
   In April of 2009, when Manny was training for Ricky Hatton, Freddie Roach told me personally at the Wildcard Boxing Gym, that Manny went 17 straight rounds with NO rest. That is 51 uninterrupted minutes of nonstop mitt work! Manny tends to get stronger as the fight continues and this endurance will enable him to outhustle Floyd in the later rounds. The trick will be getting Pacquiao's output to land. It will not be easy for Floyd is a MASTER of defensive wizardry.

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