Boxing experts predict Pacquiao-Mayweather

Renowned local boxing scribes, who have been documenting Manny Pacquiao’s fights for years, gave their take on the Filipino boxing superstar’s upcoming showdown against pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Assistant sports editor Francis Ochoa of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Nick Giongco of the Manila Bulletin and Dennis Principe of PTV Sports shared their predictions during an in-depth roundtable discussion entitled “Fighting Words” conducted by INQUIRER.net held at the University of Santo Tomas.

READ: Filipino boxing scribes give the lowdown on Pacquiao-Mayweather

“I like Manny Pacquiao in terms of winning by decision and if it’s a knockout probably it’s Mayweather,” Principe, who also calls fights as a boxing analyst on television, said before journalism students at the Pontifical and Catholic school’s newly-built Alumni Center. “But I like Pacquiao’s chances.”

Giongco, who knows Pacquiao like the back of his hand having closely followed the eight-division champion starting from the early stages of his career as a light flyweight in 1996, sees a knockout looming.

“Pacquiao in eight [rounds] but I’m only human and strange things have happened. But I’m not saying Mayweather doesn’t have a chance,” he said. “It’s just my gut feel and it’s not because it’s Pacquiao. But I just don’t see Mayweather being able to cope with the avalanche of punches.”

“But Mayweather can win by knockout, he can win by decision. My crystal ball tells me it’s Pacquiao in eight rounds,” Giongco added.

Ochoa, who has covered many of Pacquiao’s big bouts since his third meeting with Mexican legend Erik Morales at the Thomas Mack Center in Las Vegas in 2006, is also foreseeing Mayweather absorbing his first defeat in convincing fashion.

“I’m going with Manny Pacquiao by knockout anywhere between the sixth and the eighth round,” said Ochoa, who witnessed firsthand how Pacquiao transcended into a global star after forcing the great Oscar dela Hoya to quit on his stool in 2008 and eventually to retire less than a year later.

The event was in cooperation with the UST Journalism Society and is also part of the Inquirer’s comprehensive coverage in leading up to the May 2 megafight.

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For more updates on Pacquiao-Mayweather “Fight of the Century,” visit The Pacquiao Files.