i wouldn't call him that.
in his prime weights he was just a fighter. he would stay on the outside for a stretch, because he was tall and long, and wait for opportunities. then he'd explode with the left hand behind one or two jabs or flurry when he closed the distance with his feet. what he really wanted was an exchange. the first morales fight is the only time i've seen anybody get the better of pacquiao in exchanges. morales is one of the most underrated technicians ever... but i digress.
pacquiao never really cut the ring off. he never worked the jab. he didnt invest in the body. his body work would be of the mixed in with combinations variety, and with power. for instance, he followed cotto around the ring when he had him hurt. he was fast enough to get away with it, and back cotto up anyway.
he'd use his footspeed to get close. nobody was really fast enough to use the ring consistently. if he backed you up straght he'd catch up and flatten you
at 122 and 126 and 130 he was a beast. physically the guy was just a beast. he did not develop the level of craft that you saw at WW until he got there, and had to make his money fighting guys that were so much bigger than he is.
looking at pacquiao today, i'd say that he's never been naturally bigger than a lightweight, either.
in his prime weights he was just a fighter. he would stay on the outside for a stretch, because he was tall and long, and wait for opportunities. then he'd explode with the left hand behind one or two jabs or flurry when he closed the distance with his feet. what he really wanted was an exchange. the first morales fight is the only time i've seen anybody get the better of pacquiao in exchanges. morales is one of the most underrated technicians ever... but i digress.
pacquiao never really cut the ring off. he never worked the jab. he didnt invest in the body. his body work would be of the mixed in with combinations variety, and with power. for instance, he followed cotto around the ring when he had him hurt. he was fast enough to get away with it, and back cotto up anyway.
he'd use his footspeed to get close. nobody was really fast enough to use the ring consistently. if he backed you up straght he'd catch up and flatten you
at 122 and 126 and 130 he was a beast. physically the guy was just a beast. he did not develop the level of craft that you saw at WW until he got there, and had to make his money fighting guys that were so much bigger than he is.
looking at pacquiao today, i'd say that he's never been naturally bigger than a lightweight, either.
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