Manny Pacquiao is considered a 2/1 underdog by most bookmakers for Saturday night’s massively anticipated fight against Floyd Mayweather.
And the odds are hardly unjust considering the fact that Mayweather has shown nigh-on perfection in his professional career while Pacquiao has endured five losses and been held to a draw twice.
That’s not to say that the Filipino can’t win because there is every possibility that he could pull off the upset and retire, content with the knowledge that he is the solitary blemish on the record of his long-time rival.
But Pacquiao (57-5-2) must strictly follow a gameplan if he is to come away with the win in Mayweather’s own backyward and we’ve pinpointed a number of strategies that he must adhere to if he has any hope of getting his hand raised.
1. Start early
There can be no feeling out process for Pacquiao on Saturday night because once Floyd Mayweather gets ahead on the scorecards, he is a master at defending that lead and shutting you out for the remainder of the fight.
Pac-man must explode out of the traps and let Mayweather know that he’s there for more than just a payday.
One of Mayweather’s greatest skills comes when he gets into his comfort zone and coasts his way to a unanimous decision.
If Manny can come out and stun Mayweather with a hard shot in the early minutes and even steal one or two of the opening rounds then Mayweather will panic because he’s never been put in that position before.
Even in Pacquiao’s second round knockout of Ricky Hatton, he let the Manchester fighter dictate the pace in the opening minute which is something he has to avoid against Money.
Pacquiao should revert to the fighter of old who would get started right out of the gates, like he did against Seung Kon Chae in 2000.
2. Pressure
After starting early, Pacquiao has to be careful not to let the pace drop due to the fact that he wore himself out in the opening rounds.
If his training camp has gone according to plan which it has by all reports, then he should be in prime condition to keep the pace on Mayweather for 12 rounds.
If Pac-man wilts because he emptied his gas-tank too soon then Mayweather will get the better of the Filipino.
The game-plan should be to use volume punching to upset the rhythm of Mayweather and ensure that he doesn’t give Money a moment’s rest.
Against Brandon Rios, Pacquiao threw punches in bunches for the duration of the fight and the Texan couldn’t deal with the pressure.
Marcos Maidana had great success in the first half of his second bout against Mayweather using volume punches and, although Floyd went on to win, the “punch hard and often” strategy could be the antidote for Mayweather’s movement.
3. Avail of southpaw stance
Mayweather’s most distinctive technique is his patented shoulder roll which he uses to nullify the power punches of orthodox strikers.
Not only does the technique protect the chin of Mayweather when he faces up against right-handed fighters but it also set up the perfect counter of a right straight.
The shoulder roll does not prove advantageous against southpaws though because the Mayweather’s left shoulder will be protecting him from just the jab of fighters like Pacquiao, leaving the jaw open for the overhand right of Pacquiao which is one of his strongest weapons.
Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach has pinpointed the possibility for Floyd’s shoulder roll’s failure against southpaws as a technique that the Filipino intends to avail of.
He said: “He’s rolling right into a southpaw’s power. That’s a huge advantage for us.”
4. All the way in or all the way out
Movement will decide this fight and whoever employs the more intelligent motion will likely take this one.
Nothing makes Mayweather happier than having a stationary opponent at whom to aim and Pacquiao is one of the best in the business at getting inside, striking and getting out of harm’s way.
Possibly the greatest display of movement in Pacquiao’s entire career came during his late knockout victory over Miguel Cotto in 2009.
Pac-man masterfully punished the Puerto Rican by leaping in and out like an elite fencer and never looked in any danger of getting caught.
Needless to say that Mayweather is on another level than Cotto and that Pacquiao will need to be careful not to move in straight lines when he is attacking. He will have to use side-to-side movement to accompany his in-and-out attacks to keep Mayweather guessing.
While Mayweather’s best attribute could very well be his defensive prowess, Pacquiao’s is likely his ability to cut angles and feint on the way in which makes him an almost impossible target to hit at times.
5. Heart, but clever heart
One thing that can’t be measured but could truly be the deciding factor in this already legendary bout is Pacquiao’s undeniably strong mental toughness.
If the above strategies don’t work on a stellar opponent in Floyd Mayweather, there is no doubt that Manny will not lose faith.
He is one of the most honest, hardworking boxers that the sport has ever seen but he mustn’t get discouraged if he doesn’t drop Mayweather which he won’t in all probability.
He must stick to his guns and stay fired up for the duration because Saturday night is going to come down to an outscoring contest.
Pacquiao’s chin is strong enough to withstand anything that Mayweather pours onto it and, if he gets dragged into the latter rounds, Pac-man will have to use every ounce of his mental toughness to keep in the fight and give himself a chance.
There is no clearer evidence of Pacquiao’s toughness than his pair of fights against Timothy Bradley.
The American had been awarded a controversial decision victory over Pacquiao in 2012 but Pacquiao remained humble in defeat and rebounded in a rematch last year.
In that second fight, Bradley arguably took the first round but Pacquiao showed his fight-smarts and doggedness to come back and take the victory, avenging his loss.
It’s determination like this which could make Pacquiao too tough for Mayweather to overcome.
Despite his status as clear underdog, Pacquiao could very well pull off the upset if he comes out of the gates early, maintains his aggression in the form of volume punches, take advantage of his southpaw stance, use in-and-out movement to avoid punishment and display the heart we all know he has.
