Manny Pacquiao trains with Freddie Roach at the Top Rank gym in Las Vegas, Nevada two days before his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. PHOTO BY REM ZAMORA
LAS VEGAS—Expect a fast and furious Manny Pacquiao when he tangles with Floyd Mayweather Jr. here Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
Weighing in at 145 pounds Friday afternoon, Pacquiao will be light on his feet and speedy with his hands on fight night at MGM Grand Garden Arena, according to chief trainer Freddie Roach.
Boxing pundits say quickness and volume punching will be the Fighter of the Decade’s key weapons in breaking down Mayweather’s vaunted defense.
For Pacquiao to overwhelm Mayweather, who rarely throws combinations, he must throw at least 800 punches and apply constant pressure throughout the 12-round welterweight bout, they say.
Against New Yorker Chris Algieri last November, Pacquiao unloaded 669 punches. Estimates by Team Pacquiao, though, said the fighting congressman should throw and connect more against Mayweather, who is regarded as a master defender and a very tactical fighter.
In his vengeful victory over Timothy Bradley last year, Pacquiao fired just 563 punches, but showed his defensive prowess as well.
Against Brandon Rios in Macau in 2013, Pacquiao unleashed 790 punches with a high 36-percent conversion rate.
A thousand punches
To ensure victory over the wily Mayweather, the pundits say, Pacquiao must pepper him with over a thousand punches, as he did against Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey in 2010 in Arlington, Texas.
To do that, Pacquiao, now 36 years old, has promised to turn back the hands of time. To this end, he spent countless hours building his stamina through uphill runs every morning at Griffith Park in Los Angeles.
Secret Pacquiao weapon
Seven-time Trainer of the Year Roach said Pacquiao is in the best shape of his life, adding that the eight-division world champion should be able to hand Mayweather his first loss with the help of a secret weapon they worked on at his Wild Card gym in Hollywood.
That secret weapon is actually a left counter which will come in handy when Mayweather sneaks in a right as Pacquiao chases after him.
Actually, Pacquiao’s weight has remained steady in recent years. He checked in at 143.8 pounds against Algieri and he also weighed at 145 against Rios and Bradley.
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