Pacquiao shrugs off Mayweather’s size advantage
Manny Pacquiao tips the scales in the official weigh-in at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Photo by Rem Zamora/INQUIRER/ See more at FRAME
LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao had to turn his head up slightly as he and Floyd Mayweather Jr. looked eye-to-eye during their final stare down in the official weigh-in on Friday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena here.
Pacquiao weighed in at 145 pounds while Mayweather tipped the scales at 146 easily clearing the 147-pound limit for their unification title bout.
READ: Pacquiao 145, Mayweather 146 at official weigh-in
Pacquiao will be giving up one and a half inches in height and five inches in reach against Mayweather when the two welterweight titans finally touch gloves on Saturday night.
But having fought and dominated fighters bigger than Mayweather, the height disparity is the least of Pacquiao’s concerns.
“I’ve been fighting bigger guys like Margarito and dela Hoya, it doesn’t matter to me,” Pacquiao said when he was interviewed on stage as “Manny!” chants fill up the arena.
READ: Home court edge? Pacquiao cheered, Mayweather jeered in weigh-in
In 2010, Pacquiao cut the 5-foot-11 Antonio Margarito down to size to win the WBC light middleweight title and become the sport’s only eight-division world champion. Two years before, Pacquiao stopped a bigger Oscar dela Hoya.
Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach had said that Pacquiao will try to cut the ring which Mayweather will look to use to his advantage being the taller fighter.
BACKSTORY: What rest? Pacquiao hits gym one last time before megafight
Attacking Mayweather’s body early is also part of Roach’s plan to take away the pound-for-pound king’s legs and to limit his movements in the ring.
Pacquiao had proven that dealing with bigger fighters is nothing new to the Filipino boxing superstar.
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