Who are the stars of boxing backing?
Mayweather v Pacquiao
Venue: MGM Grand, Las Vegas. Date: 2/3 May: 21:00 local time/05:00 Sunday BST
Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website
By Ben Dirs, BBC Sport in Las Vegas
On Saturday in Las Vegas, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will engage in the richest fight in history at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
So much has been said about the numbers involved that it is sometimes difficult to remember there are other things at stake - namely the WBC, WBA and WBO welterweight titles and the title of best boxer of the modern era.
It is a fight everyone has an opinion on and BBC Sport has pooled the thoughts of boxers past and present, including some of the sport's greatest names. Continue
Bernard Hopkins - former two-weight world champion
"A turtle is only vulnerable when he sticks his head out - when he senses danger, he goes back into that shell. You can beat that shell up, but you're not hurting him. Pacquiao has to trick Mayweather out of that shell, make him think he's there for the counter. When he's not - 'bang' - capitalise on his mistake.
Mayweather and Pacquiao will take home about £215m between them after Saturday's fight
"Pacquiao has to make Floyd become the aggressor, something he's not comfortable with. He has to make Floyd bring the fight to him, let his hands go while Manny's letting his hands go and see who lands first. That's fun for us.
"Counter-punchers aren't good at catching up, we wait for you to come knocking at the door, we don't come to you. So counter-punchers need their opponents to be aggressive and then take advantage of slow feet and slow hands. It won't be a landslide win for Mayweather, it will be a hard-earned win. "
Carl Froch - IBF super-middleweight champion
"I can see how Manny Pacquiao is able to beat Mayweather - work the angles, high work-rate, volume of punches, fast hands, back Floyd into a corner or onto the ropes. Just outwork Mayweather and win round after round after round.
"Mayweather will put on a defensive masterclass, behind the shoulder, slipping and sliding, ducking and diving and not getting hit. He's a defensive genius, a magician in the ring. But Pacquiao should punch the shoulder, punch the arms, hit him round the back of the head, in the kidneys, take anything he can.
"Mayweather is just too good at adjusting, changing his style, adapting to what's in front of him. If there's ever a time for Mayweather to lose, that time is now, he's an ageing athlete. But I'm going for a close Mayweather points win."
Juan Manuel Marquez - three-weight world champion; lost to Mayweather, lost to Pacquiao twice, drew once, knocked him out in 2013
"Pacquiao needs to pressurise Mayweather and land punches with speed, power and accuracy. But Mayweather uses distance very well, is hard to hit and lands with counter-punches.
"I don't think it affected him when I knocked him out. I want Manny Pacquiao to win this fight, my heart is with Pacquiao as a boxer. But Mayweather wins because he's got such a difficult style."
Roy Jones Jr - four-weight world champion
"Manny has to be aggressive and Floyd's planning for him to be aggressive. Is Floyd going to match aggression with aggression, or is he going to use tactical boxing? He can do either. Manny can do one thing, Floyd can do two. Floyd will determine how the fight starts and how it ends.
"Manny's game plan has to be pressure, pressure, pressure. Floyd has never fought an opponent like Manny who throws so many punches, has power in both hands and is a southpaw. No-one has pressured Mayweather like Pacquiao will.
Mayweather-Pacquiao top facts
"Manny can be reckless and that's what Floyd will be planning on. He got reckless against Marquez when he had the fight won, went for the knockout and got knocked out himself. BBC
No comments:
Post a Comment