What is wrong with Brother Naazim Richardson’s explanation of Pac's dominance?
I thought I’d post this due to everyone trying to work out if Pac is taking steroids by relying on all these accusations, denials, rejections, 14 day, 24 day, 30 day window statements, etc. Which seems pointless as none of us know exactly what’s been going on behind closed doors.
So it would be nice if someone would give me some thoughts on these words from Br. Naazim (I’ve put in bold the bits I found the most interesting)
“Now, I'm gonna tell you, though. From Floyd's perspective: the minute you start talking about how small Pacquiao is, you're beat. I told Shane, "if you fight him, if anybody in the camp calls you bigger than Pacquiao, I'll put them out of the camp."
Because that's just media shit. Every time they mention Pacquiao they mention he started at 106 lbs. Well, hot damn, all of us at one time were under 25lbs! I got up to be over 300 lbs, but one time I was under 25 lbs. Why do they talk like that, "You know he started his career at 106."
But they keep bringing it up and I told them the same thing; the greatest trick the devil ever did was convince the world he didn't exist. The greatest trick that Pacquiao ever did was convince you all that he was a small man! And he's going to keep beating the shit out of people who keep thinking he's a small man. At 147 lbs., Pacquiao is a small man like Mike Tyson was a small heavyweight!”
What is wrong with this explanation?
The most common accusations are how Pac has coped so well with the new weight. But this is exactly what you would expect, as it’s consistent with Br. Naazim saying Pac is a bigger guy, and therefore he should cope very well at 145, and the inevitable 147 he will be making soon, as it’s his more natural weight.
I also read on a few occasions at the time of Morales/Barrera/Marquez about Pac working to make weight. So there’s a clear indication that the lower weights weren’t his natural weights.
Also people commonly say Pac had a lack of power in his previous bouts and during his dominance at lesser weights, for example he couldn't put Marquez away. Therefore, the new power evident in the KO of Hatton and the harm inflicted on Cotto suggests steroids.
But with Pac cutting to make weight for FW and LW, then he would be expected to have less power during those fights. Now he’s at his more natural weight, more power is entirely consistent. It’s what you would expect, and anyone who’s ever shed or cut a fair amount of weight from their natural weight can testify to that.
Furthermore, Br. Naazim Richardson knows far more about boxing than me and 99% of the people on this forum, and he’s not associated with Pac, so he has no reason to cuddle up to him.
So naturally I’m inclined to listen to him over others merely spouting “steroids!”
What are your thoughts? Is Br. Naazim right?
EDIT: I should say his comments came after seeing Pac inbetween fights when he was his normal size. To put the above into its better context, he also said this:
Nazim Richardson:"All of these guys underestimate Pacquiao thinking he's the small man. When I met Pacquiao, I wasn't saying how does this guy make welterweight? I was saying how in the hell was he making 130 and 135?"