FILE – Manny Pacquiao, right, hits Adrien Broner during their WBA welterweight title boxing match Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
MANILA, Philippines — Former champion Adrien Broner believes Errol Spence will be a difficult test for Manny Pacquiao and that the undefeated American welterweight titleholder has a legitimate chance of hurting the Filipino icon.
In an interview with ESNews, Broner said Spence has to use his jabs to set up his powerful left hand against Pacquiao in their August 21 fight in Las Vegas.
“Errol gonna hurt him bad,” said Broner, himself a four-division world champion.
“Use his jab, use his reach and let Manny run into the left. I think he’s gonna run into a left hand. Manny’s gonna run into a left hand.”
Spence, who’s four inches taller than the 5-foot-5 and a half Pacquiao, has a 72-inch reach giving him a five-inch advantage over the eight-division World champion.
Broner and Pacquiao tangled up in January 2019 with the latter taking the unanimous decision win to defend his WBA “regular” welterweight title.
Pacquiao (62-7-2), who eventually became WBA Super champion, has since lost his title with the sanctioning body declaring him “champion in recess” due to inactivity following his victory over Keith Thurman in July 2019 for the strap.
Spence (27-0), meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Danny Garcia in December 2020 retaining his IBF and WBC titles.
Broner added that Spence has the capability of putting down Pacquiao especially once he uses that size advantage.
“I think Errol will be a little too big and too strong for Manny,” said Broner. “He can probably stop Manny.”