Holyfield on Pacquiao-Mayweather “The fight is going to make or break Floyd!”
By Brent Matteo Alderson
In an interview with FightFanNation.com contributor Julian Esquivel, Evander Holyfield analyzed the Mayweather-Pacquiao match up and thinks it’s a very dangerous fight for Floyd, who he considers to be a great technical boxer and commented, “Mayweather may be one of the most skillful fighters ever. Skillful wise he would have been able to compete in any era while some of the fighters today would only be able to compete in this era.”
Holyfield thinks that Pacquiao’s unorthodox style may give Mayweather problems and noted, “When I look at Pacquiao and the only problem where I think he’s going to give Mayweather trouble is he’s elusive. And even though he looks like he isn’t moving, he’s going to hit and wave and he’s going to punch from so many different angles, that he may be the only person that will be able to hurt Mayweather if he catches him with shots because he doesn’t throw his punches straight. From every angle you can get hit, he throws it, and you can’t block all the angles. By him being left handed and he has enough speed, and he is more active than Floyd so he will throw more punches. He may not be quicker one punch per se but he throws so many punches and Floyd loves to go on defense and he only likes to throw two shots when he’s on defense and this guy likes to throw five shots so he’s going to get hit with something so I think this is the fight that’s going to make or break Floyd. This fight here will be one of the pinnacle things that will make Floyd great. This fight here for Floyd can break him. He beats this guy; he beat someone who is sensational. And he may not get the credit because everything on Pacquiao’s side is up because if he doesn’t win it was just a challenge for him to go up.”
Evander Holyfield was in Atlanta during the Olympics when Floyd won a Bronze medal as a nineteen year old and Evander compared that fight to Mayweather’s upcoming bout with Pacquiao and noted, “The only fight that I saw Floyd lose was in the Olympics in Atlanta, it was the last fight that he lost and it was a left handed guy. And the only way he beat Floyd is Floyd is a spot fighter, he fights in spots so what he did was he made Floyd fight more than Floyd wanted to fight. I think with Pacquiao, he’s going to put on a lot of pressure. If he puts a lot of pressure on Floyd, either Floyd is going to catch him or he’s going to be hitting Floyd. Floyd is a disciplined fighter he could care less if the fight is boring as long as he’s not getting hit. I’ve never seen anybody make Floyd go off because nobody ever hits him. That’s how good he is, you don’t ever see anybody hit him. He kind of reminds me of Pernell Whitaker. Nobody could hit Pernell. The only time Pernell got hit is when he fought Trinidad and he lost because he wasn’t quick enough to get out of the way, there was nothing he could do. The same thing with this because Pacquiao is going to throw a hundred punches. And you know how Floyd goes into the corner, and Pacquiao can hit him because he’s got that much energy to do that and it seems like he likes doing that. He never runs out, he’s just one of those guys that goes ratatatat. So if Floyd lets him build up and throw all those punches it could be a one sided fight .”
and Evander fails to mention that Pac has no defense....
I wonder why pac's angles and high work rate didnt allow him to outland Marquez last year?...
I wonder why Pac threw over 100 more punches vs the less defensive Marquez last year and was still out landed by Marquez in total punches, jabs & power punches....??
....oh thats right....counter punching:?!:
I think JMM traded punches with Pac but using his counter puching ability to neutralize Pacs offense (That's why JMM was KD 4 times in 2 bouts). JMM didn't pot shot Pac, he countered Pac all the time.
Nice analysis by Holyfield. This is definitely a make or break fight for Floyd... at least in my eyes.
Nice analysis, but Evander realy needs to retire, his starting to talk very slow these days, soon he will be slurring his words.
Holyfield is right. If PBF loses, his legacy will be along the same lines as DLH, but not as good as DLH.
If he beats Pac though it will make PBF, and PBF can boast of being closer to Pac in the ATG list. Still behind of course but would close the gap.
pretty high pressure on floyd on this fight... while pac legacy is secured... floyd will either be a bum or great fighter in this fight...
Holyfield is right. If PBF loses, his legacy will be along the same lines as DLH, but not as good as DLH.
If he beats Pac though it will make PBF, and PBF can boast of being closer to Pac in the ATG list. Still behind of course but would close the gap.
To tell you the truth, it was always gonna be like that. Floyd potshotting and not getting hit to a win, or Pac overpowering and working him with angles.
It could force Floyd to fight a real fight and he isn't bad at that, but I don't think he is as good as Pac at brawling.
Pac will beat Floyd easy. I said the same thing with Oscar, Hatton and Cotto. It's not funny hyping Floyd when we expect him to GKNTFO!
i agree.....love ur signature
and Evander fails to mention that Pac has no defense....
I wonder why pac's angles and high work rate didnt allow him to outland Marquez last year?...
I wonder why Pac threw over 100 more punches vs the less defensive Marquez last year and was still out landed by Marquez in total punches, jabs & power punches....??
....oh thats right....counter punching:?!:
Agreed but Holyfield is only speak on the attacking point for Pacquiao and a defensive point for Mayweather, I would love to hear more on what he thinks Mayweather can do to Pac attacking -wise and what Pac could do defensive-wise and what pac could do to prevent been counterpunched everytime he attacks.
This is what have been talking about, Let experience guys like Holyfield analyze fights like this and you would get a constructive analysis from them. I agree with everything is said on the subject and the fact is Mayweather alway have a hard time with southpaws and he would be fighting the best southpaw at there.