By Erwin Lastimosa
There is a back and forth war of words between Manny Pacquiao fans and Floyd Mayweather fans on who is ducking and who is the better fighter, but after last nights Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez fight the answer is very clear — it’s Mayweather who is the better fighter and Bob Arum is ducking Mayweather to protect Manny.
I think many times we can be fanatical and lack logic when it comes to our sport heroes. I think the Pacquiao fans are a prime example of thinking with their heart rather than with their minds or with logic.
I am a Pacquiao fan and I can now acknowledge that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the best boxer of our era. The Floyd Mayweather fans were correct in their assessment of Bob Arum and Freddie Roach protecting Manny from slick fighters. Manny can fight big guys who are not mobile because they are there to be hit but someone with movement gives him a lot of trouble like Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez. Juan showed us again why Pacquiao has not evolved and is still the same basic fighter he fought years ago. I compared last nights fight with Floyd Mayweather’s fight with Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd put on an amazing display of boxing mastery, he was able to force Marquez to come forward and be aggressive, while Pacquiao was impatient and couldn’t get Marquez to come forward. Mayweather was so quick and elusive that Marquez had no answer, Pacquiao was frantic and jumping around the ring desperate in his attack.
We must now accept the harsh and painful truth that Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach are good but aren’t really that great. Why after so many years together that Freddie Roach never discussed a strategy to beat Marquez? I am not a boxing trainer but it’s obvious that Marquez is so good because he never covers himself up when Manny attacks him, instead, he will counter Pacquiao in the exchanges and step to the side or always move back. Manny covers up when attacked and once he opens up again, Marquez is already out of range so Pacquiao can’t counter him.
I’ve read many people say all you have to do is duck under Manny Pacquiao’s left straight and clinch him to avoid it and that is exactly what Marquez did and Floyd Mayweather Jr. when he fought Victor Ortiz was throwing powerful fast right hands while ducking under Ortiz’s left hand and rolling out. Floyd Mayweather is too good for the Pacman and will beat him convincingly.
I am asking only Pacquiao fans who were disrespectful and racist to Floyd Mayweather and his fans to please apologize and hopefully they will excuse you and forgive your ignorance.
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Erwin Lastimosa is a long time boxing fan and enjoys boxing discussion with his peers. Some of his favorite fighters are Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Muhammad Ali, Flash Elorde, Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao.