Posted on 11/24/2013 5:53:27 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Manny Pacquiao got himself back in the race last night with a dominant decision win over Brandon Rios in Macao. So what's next for the Filipino superstar as he closes in on his 35th birthday?
With last night's one-sided win over Brandon Rios, will we finally see the long-awaited "dream fight" between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather? In a word, no. In a few more words, it's so beyond unlikely that any lengthy discussion as to why we won't see it is really a waste of time, but here are a few bullet points to lay out why this fight won't be happening
1. The promoters for Pacquiao (Top Rank) and Mayweather (himself, alongside Golden Boy Promotions) do not work together. At all.
2. Mayweather is signed to Showtime Sports, which is a deal that will stretch four more fights. Showtime does basically all of their business with Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions. HBO does not air fights featuring Golden Boy or Mayweather fighters, or fighters advised by Al Haymon, though Edwin Rodriguez did get a pass on that count recently because Andre Ward needed an opponent. Showtime doesn't work with Top Rank, though they've not stated that they wouldn't. It's just the way it is right now. It's HBO and Top Rank vs Showtime and GBP/Mayweather/Haymon, with fighters promoted by smaller promoters getting in here and there occasionally.
3. The fight should have been made in 2009. It wasn't. Then 2010. It wasn't. Then 2011. It wasn't. Then 2012. It wasn't. This year, it wasn't in such demand, and it wasn't made. The smoke and mirrors angle behind Pacquiao beating Rios is that it makes him a possible Mayweather foe again. Sure, it could. Beating Rios is as useful as beating Andre Berto or Austin Trout, which is what Floyd's last two opponents did prior to facing him. Those are all good wins. But it means nothing in this specific situation, because of the previous two bullet points.
If Mayweather-Pacquiao can happen somehow, then great. I am all for it. It's still a terrific fight and would almost surely break the revenue records set by Mayweather-Canelo, as well as the PPV buy records set by De La Hoya-Mayweather. It would be enormous still, because the vast majority of the PPV-buying public are not your "boxing-heads," but the casual fans who can be told a story about a fight and then buy that fight. To them, this is still The Fight in boxing. We always say that losses shouldn't totally kill someone's career or whatever, and to those fans, they don't. They don't care that Manny was knocked out by Marquez last year, or lost controversially before that. They still want Floyd vs Manny because that's what they want.
But, no, I don't think the fight will happen, and these 400+ words are all I can say about the subject at this point.
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Also see pictures here:
Manny Pacquiao’s victory brings joy to fans in typhoon-ravaged Tacloban, Philippines
When Manny was in his prime, Mayweather was scared spitless of getting near a ring, let alone in a ring with him.
I lost all respect for Mayweather when he dodged and ducked and blamed everything except his lack of balls.
I think manny went there today
The great thing about Manny Pacquaio is he does not give excuses when he loses a fight. He gave Marquez all the credit for winning their last encounter.
As for Mayweather ducking him... he called Pacquaio a “boxer who isn’t the man he used to be”... He simply gave this response:
“If you think I’m old, then I’m an easy fight, so fight me...”
SEE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiaswwJBd9k
(We’re still waiting for course )
He was dominating Marquez until that devastating KO.
Cumulative fatigue damage is a mechanical engineering precept in calculating the life of ferrous metals.
It also appears to be applicable in brain trauma.
This guy seems to be a pretty bright fellow, and the money’s good, but I wonder what his later years are gonna look like.
Pack it in Manny!
RE: Pacquiao vs Rios and Pacquaio vs Marquez
I notice a difference between Pacquiao’s fight this time against Brandon Rios vis a vis his fight against Marquez.
The last time he fought Marquez, Pacquiao over-committed to his offense, got cocky, went for the kill and walked into a surprising counter right hand from Marquez (a great counter puncher) and spent a few minutes down in the ring.
But this time, in the 12th round against Rios, when the accumulation of punches appeared to finally be too much, when Rios’ attempts to pull victory out of the hat resulted in him walking into Pacquiao’s ax and he sagged into a corner, Pacquiao briefly appeared to be thinking about moving in for the kill before deciding that the risk wasn’t worth it and backing away ( I think he remembered the previous fight ).
So, here’s what I think — Pacquaio is 35 years old, not as fast as he used to be 10 years ago. What happened against Marquez means that, with reflexes ever-so-slightly slowing with age, and wear and tear (See for instance, what’s happening in Tennis to the great Roger Federer), Pacquiao will fight in a marginally more restrained style in the future, seeking to inflict damage on his opponent while minimizing the risk of incoming artillery.
Whether he can fight Mayweather in a more “smart” style instead of brawling remains to be seen ( that is of course, if Mayweather even agrees to fight Pacquaio as he has been dodging him for the longest time ).
RE: I wonder what his later years are gonna look like.
Well, Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson did not look good with age.
However, George Foreman seems to look OK and seems to be enjoying his life.
Yeah I’m sure it’s a combination of genetics and total absorbed power.
Video highlights
http://www.allthebestfights.com/manny-pacquiao-vs-brandon-rios-full-fight-video-pelea-2013/
And fight fans continue to get suckered!
I doubt Mayweather/Pacquiao will happen but it won’t be for the above stated reasons. It will be for the same reason it has never happened. RM is concerned about MP’s speed and awkwardness being able to outpoint him.
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