Pacquiao’s left versus Vargas’ right–Cooper

Boxer Jessie Vargas(L), USA, and trainer Dewey Cooper (C)speak during their final news conference with Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines at The Wynn Las Vegas, November 2, 2016.
Pacquiao will challenge Jessie Vargas of the US for the WBO Welterweight Championship on November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. / AFP PHOTO / John GURZINSKI

LAS VEGAS–Beating fighting Manny Pacquiao won’t be easy, but it will be done.

After spending countless hours analyzing Pacquiao’s fights and movements, Cooper believes his ward, World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Jessie Vargas, is ripe to frustrate the Filipino icon’s ring debut as a senator.

According to Cooper, Vargas isn’t only younger (10 years) and longer (four inches). The Las Vegan is also stronger, faster, more coordinated and with a higher ring IQ than Pacquiao.

Cooper, however, cautioned Vargas to stick to their game plan and wait for Pacquiao to commit a mistake.
Just like what Juan Manuel Marquez did in their fourth encounter in 2012.

That time, Pacquiao was going for the kill, but in his haste ran smack into an explosive counter right that knocked him out cold with but a second left in the sixth round.

No wonder, Cooper, donning dreadlocks, has included that punch into Vargas’ arsenal for their 12-round battle at Thomas & Mack Center.

Cooper surmises that Vargas can also exploit Pacquiao’s composure and his tendency to be on the offensive most of the time.

“Manny is not a “safe fighter,” he won’t go on defensive mode,” said Cooper, a former boxer, kickboxer and an ardent martial artist, during a roundtable discussion with the media at Wynn hotel Thursday.

Referring to Pacquiao as an unconventional fighter, Cooper likened him to a slashing point guard who is sniper-sharp and has a killer mentality.

Pacquiao, according to Cooper can punch with his hands out of position or his feet out of angle, with devastating effect.

Cooper cited Pacquiao’s one of two knockdown of Tim Bradley last April 12, when he barely hit Bradley on the chin and yet Vargas’ lone conqueror went down.

“He (Pacquiao) does hits hard. This guy is dangerous,” said Cooper, who wonders how Pacquiao could have sustain the same hunger as Vargas.

“It (hunger) may be in your brain, but not in your soul,” said Cooper, aware of Pacquiao’s lofty stature as senator, household name and billionaire back home.

To simplify matters, the fight will be basically between Pacquiao’s left versus Vargas’ right. The same punch that led to Sadam Ali’s stoppage in the ninth round in his last fight early this year.

“When it overhand right lands, it’s good night,” swears Cooper.