Analyzing Mayweather-Pacquiao

There was much anticipation leading up to a fight that was titled the “Fight of the Century” Mayweather vs. Pacquiao that took place on May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.  An encounter that took nearly six years to come to fruition as during that time the two fighters became the two best pound for pound fighters in the world.  This was the defining fight for both fighters respective careers in the eyes of many.  All the anticipation that led up to Mayweather-Pacquiao however, may have ultimately resulted in a bit of a letdown for some. 

In many ways the fight was a quintessential Floyd Mayweather Boxing lesson. Mayweather’s lateral movement, ability to dictate how the fight was fought, defense, and precision timing with his offense was the story of this fight. As has been the case in previous Mayweather bouts, a focal point of his offense in this fight was his ability to throw jabs and land straight right hands. Mayweather’s ability to keep the fight in the middle the ring was also a key factor.

Although Manny Pacquiao would have moments periodically throughout this fight, particularly when he was able to land counter punches and get Mayweather against the ropes. What was absent from his attack was his ability to use angles to set up his offense and to throw punches in a swarming style that makes it difficult for opponents to counteract. As I stated prior to this fight it was crucial in my eyes that Pacquiao bring the fight to Mayweather at a fast pace and maintain that pace for the entire fight.

This fight was instead fought at a pace that allowed Mayweather to dictate how it was fought and to more or less pick his shots and win rounds as a result. Pacquiao’s inability to use angles to set up his offense, choosing instead to come straight in at Mayweather played right into Mayweather’s hands.

Even though Pacquiao was able to have his best rounds in rounds two, four, and six when he was able to land punches a bit more frequently, he was simply unable to throw and land at a volume that may have allowed him to have more success in this fight. As I stated following the fight on social media when fights are fought in a manner as this fight was, it will always favor a fighter with a style like Mayweather’s who likes to pick his shots. Simply put, Pacquiao needed to be more active and needed to make Floyd Mayweather uncomfortable in order to have success in this fight.

At the end of the day the fight ended up being what Boxing fans have become accustomed to seeing from Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather dictating the pace, picking his shots, and showcasing his superb defense to earn a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision. Official scores were 118-110, and 116-112 on two scorecards all in favor of Mayweather. Unofficially, I scored this fight nine rounds to three in favor of Mayweather or 117-111 in points.

Although some may have anticipated more of an action fight given what was at stake for both fighters as well as the expensive price tags that consumers were asked to pay both for those who were attending the fight in person at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as well as those who paid $100 for the pay-per-view telecast, it was not surprising to this observer to see a tactical fight. Even though this fight ultimately was lopsided in Mayweather’s favor, it was still a competitive fight between two highly skilled boxers who are both future Hall of Famers.

As for what will the fallout of this fight will be from a financial standpoint, it will likely set new pay-per-view and live gate attendance records as was expected when this fight was announced. To what degree the financial success of this fight will be is unknown as of this writing, but I believe that it will ultimately prove to be the most successful Boxing card in the sport’s history.

As for the fighters themselves, it will be interesting to see where both fighters go coming out of this fight. In regard to Pacquiao, who only landed 81 of 429 total punches in the twelve round bout, revealed after the fight that he suffered an injury prior to the fight to his right shoulder and essentially fought the fight with one hand. Although some may criticize Pacquiao for going ahead with the fight with an injured shoulder when perhaps it may have been better for him to postpone the fight, this observer believes it was more Mayweather’s ability to dictate how the fight was fought more so than Pacquiao’s injury. Pacquiao did however, state that he hesitated to be more aggressive due to only having one hand.

Despite the injury, Pacquiao was still competitive and did manage to have his moments. As for what is next for Pacquiao, who lost the WBO world Welterweight championship to the unified WBC/WBA champion Mayweather in this fight, we will have to wait and see what the impact of the injury to his right shoulder will have in terms of when he will fight again. It will be interesting however, when Pacquiao does return to the ring to see if he will continue fighting in the 147lb. Welterweight division or if he will choose to move down in weight to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division.

Even though Pacquiao came out of this fight on the losing end, he is still one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world and is still one of the sport’s biggest marquee draws. A loss in this fight will not have too much of an impact on Pacquiao’s marquee value. It is simply a question of what Pacquiao will do next. It is logical to assume that we will not get an answer to that question until Pacquiao’s injured shoulder has fully healed.

As there is a question of what Manny Pacquiao will do next, the same question also surrounds Floyd Mayweather. For his part, Mayweather, who landed 148 of 435 total punches against Pacquiao stated following the fight that he intends to relinquish all the world championships that he currently holds. The WBC/WBA Jr. Middleweight world championships as well as the WBC/WBA titles he holds in the Welterweight division including the WBO title he just won from Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather has stated that he will fight in September in what will be the last of a lucrative six-fight deal with Showtime, will be his final fight before retirement. It is anyone’s guess who Mayweather’s opponent might be come September, but an interesting storyline that will accompany that fight when it takes place will be Mayweather’s attempt to match Rocky Marciano’s undefeated mark of 49-0. 

Whether or not Mayweather can equal Marciano’s feat is a question that will be answered in time. If the planned fight in September will indeed be Mayweather’s last and if he should emerge from that fight still unbeaten it will cement his legacy and put him in an exclusive group of fighters to have retired undefeated that include such fighters as Marciano, Ricardo Lopez, and Joe Calzaghe to name a few. We will see in time if Mayweather can add his name to the list of retired undefeated world champions.

As for what the future holds in terms of pay-per-view Boxing events, the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight was only the second time that rival networks HBO and Showtime joined forces to co-produce a pay-per-view card. Although this card, much like the networks first collaboration in 2002 with the Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson Heavyweight championship fight will likely prove to be a financial success in terms of pay-per-view buys, it is unclear whether the networks will continue to collaborate from time to time.

In the eyes of this observer it will all boil down to whether the right time, circumstances, and fighters are present for HBO and Showtime to continue to co-produce cards. If circumstances allow however, the two networks working together will ultimately benefit the sport overall.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

 

Will Mayweather-Pacquiao Live Up To Its Anticipation?

Throughout Boxing history there have been memorable battles between fighters who have achieved legendary status in the sport. Sometimes however, such encounters are preceded by a lengthy period of anticipation. It is not uncommon when you think of fights that have taken a significant period of time to come to fruition to see a bout referred to as a “Super Fight.”

Such is the case in regard to the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao Welterweight unification clash that will take place Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is a fight that Boxing fans and experts alike have been waiting for nearly a decade to become a reality. A fight that has been referred to as “The Fight Of The Century.” In comparison to other “Super Fights” that taken place in the sport, this observer believes Mayweather-Pacquiao is similar to the classic battles of the 1980s involving Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Marvelous Marvin Hagler in terms of anticipation.

In one corner stands Floyd Mayweather, a fighter who has won world titles in five different weight classes and is undefeated in forty-seven professional fights. Standing across the ring from Mayweather will be Manny Pacquiao, a winner of fifty-seven of sixty-four professional fights who has won world titles from the 112lb. Flyweight division to the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division.

Stylistically, this fight figures to be an interesting tactical battle. Pacquiao, a fighter known for his speed, punching power, and ability to throw punches from all angles will face one of the most accurate fighters in the sport in Mayweather. The key to this fight in my eyes will be whether or not Pacquiao can find a way to break through Mayweather’s superb defense more than occasionally and avoid Mayweather’s counter punches.

Fighters such as Jose Luis Castillo, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, and Marcos Maidana were all able to have periods of success in their fights against Mayweather. An argument can be made however, that all four ended up on the losing end of decisions to Mayweather due to Mayweather’s ability to adapt in the middle the fight as well as those fighters relenting from the consistent pressure that they put on him in the early rounds, which allowed Mayweather to gradually take control of those fights as they progressed and win those fights on the scorecards. 

It is crucial in my eyes that Pacquiao bring the fight to Mayweather at a fast pace and maintain that pace for a full twelve rounds. It will be interesting to see how Mayweather deals with a fighter who is aggressive and who executes his offense in a swarming fashion as Pacquiao. Although I believe that Pacquiao needs to be consistent with his offense and not let up as the fight progresses, he must also be wary of Mayweather’s ability to counter punch and not be reckless in his attack. It is important to remember that Pacquiao was caught by a flush counter right hand in his fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, who is in his own right a highly skilled counter puncher and was knocked out as a result.

Mayweather has befuddled many opponents over the years with his defensive prowess as well as his hand speed. It is logical to assume that Mayweather will not change things up in this fight and will look to play the role of counter puncher and take advantage of any openings that Pacquiao might leave him. If Pacquiao can maintain a consistently high offensive output throughout the entire fight, it may force Mayweather to become more aggressive in the later rounds.

It is a fight that one could make an argument for either fighter winning the fight and there will likely be varying opinions on who will win and how. An answer that this observer has used over the years when asked for a prediction on an upcoming bout is that I don’t give predictions, but instead offer a well-educated guess as to what may happen in a fight. 

Although it is true as I have often said over the years that “Anything can happen at any given time in the sport of Boxing and that is what makes the sport so great.” in regard to this fight I believe that it could go the distance and depending on how the fight as fought, it would not shock me to see a close decision rendered at the end of the evening. One should keep in mind however, that even though it has been four years since Mayweather last scored a knockout and it has been nearly six years since Pacquiao scored a knockout win, both fighters do have the ability to get an opponent out of there should the opportunity present itself.

In terms of what this fight will mean for the sport overall, it is only the second time that rival television networks HBO and Showtime have come together to co-produce a pay-per-view card. The first collaboration between the networks came in June 2002 when Lennox Lewis successfully defended his unified Heavyweight championship over Mike Tyson setting what was the highest grossing pay-per-view event in the history of the sport at that time generating over a hundred million dollars in pay-per-view revenue. The milestone however, was surpassed by Floyd Mayweather’s fight against Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 and that fight was surpassed by Mayweather’s bout with Saul Alvarez in 2013 as the highest grossing pay-per-view fight in the history of the sport generating 2.2 million pay-per-view buys and one hundred fifty million dollars in revenue.

In this observer’s opinion the fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao is likely to shatter that record. It is after all a showdown between the two top pay-per-view draws in the sport and more importantly a battle between the two best fighters of their era.

Whether or not the fight live up to its anticipation is a question that will be answered on Saturday night. It is my hope however, after years of anticipation, with the world watching that this will be a fight that like the classic encounters of the 1980s involving Leonard, Duran, Hearns, and Hagler will elevate the sport overall. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

Where Bryant Jennings Stands Following Hard-Fought Loss To Klitschko

On February 23, 2008 Wladimir Klitschko successfully unified his IBF and IBO Heavyweight world titles with a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten WBO world champion Sultan Ibragimov at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Klitschko’s one-sided victory over Ibragimov would be Klitschko’s last fight in the United States for over seven years.

In the years following that fight bouts fought for versions of the World Heavyweight championship took place outside of the United States. Wladimir along with his brother Vitali established themselves as two of the sport’s marquee draws regularly defending their titles in sold-out arenas and stadiums around the world. The brothers’ dominance and ability to consistently draw large crowds regardless of their opposition resulted in an absence of Heavyweight championship fights being staged in the United States.

The retirement of Vitali Klitschko in 2013 however, opened the door for a return of World Heavyweight championship Boxing to America. In May of last year Bermane Stiverne scored a knockout in his rematch with Chris Arreola in Los Angeles, California. The fight, which was to determine a new WBC world champion following Vitali’s retirement was the first World Heavyweight championship fight to take place in America in five years since Arreola’s failed bid in his challenge of Vitali in 2009 in Los Angeles.

Stiverne’s victory in his rematch with Arreola and subsequent loss to Deontay Wilder earlier this year in Las Vegas, Nevada showed growing demand for the Heavyweight championship of the world to be defended here in the United States. It seemed only natural that the unified world champion of the division would soon make his return to America.

Wladimir Klitschko’s return would come on April 25th as he looked to make the eighteenth defense of his world championship at Madison Square Garden. Standing across the ring from Klitschko was undefeated top American contender Bryant Jennings.

Jennings, who entered the fight unbeaten in nineteen professional fights was clearly at a disadvantage in terms of experience compared to Klitschko, who had competed in sixty-six professional fights prior to this encounter. The challenger however, had established himself as one of the best American Heavyweights and entered the fight ranked in the top ten of the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO Heavyweight ratings.

There may have been some who felt that this fight was a mere formality for the unified IBF/WBO/IBO/WBA world champion Klitschko who in his second reign as a Heavyweight world champion has compiled seventeen successful defenses and had not faced a stern test in quite some time. The challenger however, would show that he came to fight.

One of the things that Jennings was able to do early on in the fight was disrupt Klitschko’s rhythm by using lateral movement and as well as moving his head. This seemed to disrupt Klitschko’s ability to land his jab followed by his straight right hand, which has been a focal point of his offense over the last several years. As has been the case for previous Klitschko opponents however, Jennings would have difficulty getting on the inside of the champion as Klitschko looked to clinch him every time the challenger could get close.

As the fight progressed it became in large part a battle of Klitschko’s jab versus Jennings’ ability to land body punches when he was able to get close. One thing that Jennings increasingly did as the rounds went on was continue to try and let his hands go even when Klitschko looked to tie him up on the inside. Despite not being able to consistently land his right hand throughout the fight, Klitschko was able to win rounds strictly off of his ability to throw jabs and thus constantly have something in front of Jennings to go through in order to get on the inside.

Jennings however, would gradually have more success landing to champion’s body and was able to occasionally mix in offense to the head of Klitschko as the rounds went on. The challenger was clearly not awed by the occasion of fighting for a world championship for the first time in his career and doing so in a venue rich in Boxing history as Madison Square Garden. Jennings was also not intimidated by the champion and was not discouraged even when Klitschko would clinch him.

Klitschko’s holding of Jennings would lead to the champion being penalized a point in round ten. Despite losing a point on the scorecards, Klitschko was able to maintain a lead and fend off a determined effort from Jennings to retain his unified world championship via twelve round unanimous decision. Official scores were 118-109, and 116-111 (on two scorecards) for Wladimir Klitschko.

Unofficially, I scored this fight the same as two of the official judges on 116-111 in favor of Klitschko. Although Klitschko continues to sit atop the Heavyweight division and continues his march towards Boxing history having now successfully defended his title for the eighteenth time, this observer believes that Bryant Jennings became the fighter who was able to provide Klitschko with a stern test.

Even though it is logical to assume that there could be a difference of opinion in regard to Klitschko’s performance in this fight as compared to previous outings, I believe the story of this fight was not so much that Klitschko had difficulty in executing his offense, but rather a determined effort from a challenger who proved his legitimacy as a top contender in the Heavyweight division.

It will be interesting to see who Klitschko chooses to face next in what will be his nineteenth title defense and if successful would put him one defense away from tying Larry Holmes’ mark of twenty successful Heavyweight title defenses, second only to Joe Louis who has the all-time record for successful title defenses in any way division in the history of the sport of twenty-five. Although fighters such as Tyson Fury and Vyacheslav Glazkov are currently awaiting mandatory title shots as the WBO’s and IBF’s top-rated contenders and demand to see Klitschko face WBC champion Deontay Wilder to determine an undisputed Heavyweight world champion is likely to increase, this observer believes Bryant Jennings has earned a rematch.

After all, Jennings not only faced a dominant world champion who was vastly more experienced, but he also made that champion fight and was able to win rounds in the process. There have not been many challengers during Wladimir Klitschko’s current reign as champion who have brought the fight to him. Although Jennings suffered the first defeat of his career, his stock as a player in the Heavyweight division has gone up as a result of the determined effort he put forth in this fight.

Whether or not Jennings will get a rematch in the near future remains to be seen. If an immediate rematch is not in the cards for Bryant Jennings, it will be interesting to see whether or not his performance in this fight may lead to a title shot against Deontay Wilder for the WBC world championship assuming Klitschko will make a mandatory title defense in his next fight against either Fury or Glazkov. 

One thing however, is certainly clear. After a long absence, the demand for World Heavyweight championship Boxing here in the United States is alive and well. It is my hope that the resurgence of World Heavyweight championship fights here in America continues.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved. 

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison