KO awaits Mayweather if he changes style for Pacquiao fight

Floyd Mayweather Jr. better stick to his style, or else risking a knockout.

Inquirer News Editor Jun Engracia, a veteran sports writer before jumping to news, said Mayweather could experience a knockout loss at the hands of Manny Pacquiao when he shifts from his defensive style to a more open and attacking style.

“If he changes tactics right now, he could be knocked out,” Engracia said in Fighting Words: Pacquiao vs Mayweather, a roundtable discussion dedicated to the Pacquiao-Mayweather super fight on Sunday (Manila time) at MGM Grand Garden Arena that would unify the WBO, WBC, and WBA Welterweight titles.

READ: Fighting Words: Pacquiao vs Mayweather, a roundtable discussion

Engracia added that Mayweather’s best weapon is his defense.

“That’s his best defensive weapon, it’s to tie up Pacquiao if he becomes aggressive.”

Joining Egracia in the roundtable discussion were Teddyvic Melendres, Inquirer Sports Editor’ Francis TJ Ochoa, Assistant Sports Editor; Fred Nasiad, Bandera Sports Editor; and Chito Dela Vega, Inquirer Libre editor-in-chief, who moderated the discussion.

They said that Mayweather could experience the same fate of Ricky Hatton when the Brit changed tactics for his fight against Pacquiao.

Hatton shifted from his calculated style to an attacking one and paid a dear price for it, a brutal knockout loss at the left hand of Pacquiao.

Melendres said that Mayweather’s reputation is his defensive style “that Pacquiao wants to destroy once and for all.”

He added that both Mayweather and Hatton has that “gulang” but Hatton’s does not match with Mayweather’s.

For Nasiad, Mayweather needs to immediately dictate the pace of the fight as the undefeated American “is a control freak.”

“Mayweather is a control freak,” Nasiad said. “Five years ago when he said he wouldn’t fight Pacquiao the fight did not go through.”

“Mayweather needs to be in control of the fight. His mentality of being in control, once that’s removed, he will have a hard time defeating Pacquiao.”

Ochoa , meanwhile, said that Mayweather will still rely on his defense and that impenetrable barrier of his will dictate his offense.

“A lot of his offense will be on counters,” Ochoa said. “He’s going to find his openings depending on how Pacquiao fights him.”

“I don’t think he’s going to engage in that match. Pacquiao is a different animal, he’s not the fighter you’d want to go toe-to-toe with.”

For Engracia, Mayweather can rely on his under-appreciated offense to score.

“Very few remember that most of his biggest punches comes from the left.”

Engracia added that Mayweather is different from Juan Manuel Marquez, who knocked Pacquiao out cold, as the Money Man doesn’t have that knockout power.

READ: Pacquiao’s power still there, but not the same—experts – See more at:

For Melendres, Pacquiao’s speed will allow him to do pretty much anything in the ring.

He also said, “knocking out Mayweather is very important.”

WATCH:
Episode 1: Does Manny Pacquiao still have power, killer instinct?

Episode 2: Does Pacquiao need a knockout to win over Mayweather?

Episode 3: Will Mayweather open up or be on the defensive against Pacquiao?

Episode 4: Does Floyd Mayweather Jr. have the power to KO Manny Pacquiao?

Episode 5: WATCH: Will Pacquiao, Mayweather give fans their money’s worth on May 2?