Speed and agility can win fights and Pacquiao is capable of outpointing Mayweather especially if he can improve on his punching accuracy for the needed points.
But the ultimate goal of any boxer is to win convincingly in every fight and nothing is more convincing than a knock out win.
Definitely, Pacquiao would like to win by knockout — though he isn’t vocal about it, a knockout win against Mayweather will send his popularity soaring. Not just winning on points against Mayweather, but he will be remembered as the first boxer to knock out the unbeaten American fighter in his pro career.
Mayweather is known for his ability to absorb power punches which is the reason why he has never been knocked down in his 47 pro fights. In his controversial fight against Zab Judah in 2006, Mayweather appeared to have been knocked down in the early rounds but the referee was quick to rule it a slip.
For Pacquiao to score a knockout or just even a knock down, he has to improve on his punching power that is reminiscent of his stunning knockout win against Ricky Hatton in 2009.
Pacquiao is still on a knockout holiday since scoring one over the rugged Puerto Rican idol Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in 2009.
Roach seems to have put more emphasis on Pacquiao’s speed and his deputies are convinced that he has been successful in getting Pacquiao even faster than he has ever been in his pro career.
Nonoy Neri, one of Roach’s deputies said that Pacquiao has already got the speed that he needs to show on fight night.
“Ngayon pa lang, Masasabi ko na nakuha na niya ang dating bilis. Grabe ang bilis ni Manny, compared sa mga nakaraang laban niya.(At this time, I can say that he already got his usual speed. Manny’s speed is just awesome compared to the speed he has shown on his previous fights), Neri said.
“Nagugulat nga si Coach Freddie sa mga nakikita nya kay Manny. Bilis ng kamay, bilis ng paa, nandyan na,” he said. (Coach Freddie is surprised to have seen Manny’s speed, his foot speed is there already), Neri added.
Neri was seconded by Pacquiao’s brother Bobby,who is also a former boxing champion, saying that indeed Pacquiao has improved on his speed. “You won’t know where his punches are coming from,” he said.
“I’ve been watching him train since we started in GenSan until we got here at talagang nakikita ko na ayaw man lang magpahinga (I can see that he doesn’t even want to rest), except during the press conference and when he had to undergo blood testing,” Bobby observed.
Still, no one seems to have talked about Pacquiao’s punching power, which definitely needs more attention from the trainers including Roach.
But it’s too early to say as Roach has sufficient time to work on Pacquiao’s punching power. He has more than a month to get Pacquiao back on track in terms of power particularly on Pacquiao’s right hand which Roach had spent years to develop.
