Pac-Floyd analysis

Floyd's NATURAL reaction is to go backwards nowadays IF his opponent likes to come forward. Manny comes forward faster than anyone Mayweather has ever faced. That's just a fact. Floyd isn't going to have an opportunity to really come forward and trying to counter Manny with one shot with his weight on his back foot and not having any momentum coming forward is not going to win him this fight. In a nutshell, Floyd is going to have to fight like he did @ 130 lbs. to win this fight OR, he's going to have to spend more time with his weight on his left side shooting left hooks to the body and counter left uppercuts when Manny is coming straight in with his straight punches. But, it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks so I expect Mayweather to get pushed along the ropes for most of the fight and I expect that he thinks he'll win by countering Manny's offense off of the ropes but he will not. Floyd needs to spend less time on his right side, period. This is the perfect fight for him to utilize lots of jabs, left hooks, and left uppercuts with momentum shifting to his left side. Pac likes to attack in a straight line and is best at it when he has a second to set himself and then he springs forward with a combination. He gets sloppy and off balance at times when he is forced to chase or deviate from this straight line of attacking. As an example, there were plenty of opportunities to counter him in the Algieri fight but Chris was too busy running and couldn't readjust himself to land shots when Manny was out of his comfort zone of striking in a straight line. Manny simply does not circle his opponents to the right side in any kind of traditional way, and Floyd should take advantage of that. For instance, Manny isn't going to attack Floyd in a half circle motion from the right side with any kind of attack for the most part. He likes that straight line drive where his opponent is right in front of him. Floyd likes to throw that lead right hand and let his momentum carry him to the right. This is a mistake--especially against a southpaw. If Floyd throws that shot, he needs to end up on his left side. Another thing, Manny isn't some kind of defensive juggernaut. When his opponent attacks him, they typically have success. Manny's defense largely consists of him putting his gloves up and waiting it out. He's not great at slipping punches or adjusting his body to avoid punches. A perfect opportunity for Floyd to be first and stagnate what Manny wants to do." The onus is on Floyd in this fight. Manny is going to do what Manny does. It's all going to depend on how Floyd reacts to what Manny does. IMO, Floyd can't become stagnant on the ropes like he's had a habit of doing in recent years because Manny will just throw multiple combinations at him. Being stuck in the turtle shell all night long against the ropes is not a good look for Floyd in this fight. I believe he is going to have to shift his weight from his right foot onto his left foot should he get into this situation and throw more left hooks to the body and left uppercuts. Just throwing the occasional right cross counter off of the ropes is not going to win him rounds in this scenario. Even if Manny's combinations do not land when Floyd is on the ropes it won't matter because if Floyd isn't countering back, Manny will accumulate points and that alone will win him rounds. How is Floyd going to react to someone throwing 4-5-6 punch combinations at him all night long? Manny likes to be first. That's what his whole game is predicated on. And Floyd's game is predicated on counter punching. I'm not sure that's the right game plan for Floyd. Is Floyd going to be willing to throw 'with' Manny? I'm not confident Floyd's pot shot lead right hands are going to do the trick in this fight in the center of the ring. Even if Floyd is able to time Manny when Manny likes to bounce up and down like he likes to do. Manny's speed has not diminished but Floyd's has. Even if Floyd does throw that right hand--and lands it--Manny will be right there to follow up with a counter and likely from an unorthodox angle. Floyd is going to have to jab in this fight and move around and be first. Can he do that effectively for 12 rounds? I honestly don't think he can. And, something I've alluded to in the past--I think Floyd is to the point in his career where he has been overtraining. I think by the time fight night rolls around, he's running on fumes. I blame this on old methodology but if Floyd is willing to listen to Ariza, then who knows. I see Floyd getting hit more than ever in this fight. I actually think he'll look overwhelmed at times. I used to not feel this way about this matchup, but, I think Floyd's skills have eroded more than Manny's has. If Canelo and Maidana can both earn MD losses, there's no doubt in my mind that Manny can get an MD win. And if Manny does win, Floyd will look back at his career and he'll come to the realization that he should've fought Manny back in 2010 when he was a more effective fighter. Basically, he'll look back on this whole long drawn out charade as a mistake."