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Here's my top 5 improvements for Pacquiao throughout the years.
Manny Pacquiao is one of those athletes who are genetically gifted. He has inborn speed, fast footwork, freakish stamina, durable chin, powerful punches, and ambidextrous hands. But gifts can only take you so far, a fighter also needs training and hard work.
Mid 1990s: Bullet Left
When Pacquiao was just first starting out in boxing, he keeps moving forward. Even with his gifts, Pacquiao's defense was just not that good.
He was a one trick pony - jab, jab, straight left. He won most of his early fights by overwhelming his enemies with barrages of lefts. Pacquiao was punched a lot, but he didn't mind, as long as his machine gun lefts keeps raining.
The right jab has double purpose, as a measuring stick and as a setup for his powerful straight left to the face. His left is so fast that most of his opponents didn’t see what hit them. The power of Manny Pacquiao’s left straight comes from his legs, using his whole body starting from his calf muscles.
Late 1990s: Face Body Combo
This is when the Combo first appeared. During this time Manny incorporated his famous face and body combo. Once his opponent covers up to protect the face, Pacquiao follows-up with a punch to the side of the body. Up and down, up and down, over and over again, Pacquiao targeting the uncovered part.
Early 2000s: Crossover
This is when the crossover defense footwork manifested. After straighting his opponent with his left, he circles to the right of his opponents. By the time the opponent throws a counter, Manny is nowhere to be found, he's already behind them. It's like a crossover move in a sport that Manny Pacquiao plays - basketball.
2005 to Present: Manila Ice
When Freddie Roach became Pacquiao's new trainer, he saw Pacquiao's obvious weakness: over-relying on the straight left.
Marquez capitalized on this weakness during the first fight. His lost to Morales showed that Pacquiao was still relying on his straight left, and not incorporating the right hand as planned.
Roach drilled Pacquiao to use his natural gift of ambidextrous hands - hence the right hook, a.k.a. "Manila Ice" was born. So began the long and repetitious training of Pacquiao's right hand.
“Sometimes I get bored doing the right hook over and over again,” said Pacquiao.
It took Pacquiao years to perfect the right hook. The Manila Ice was first seen during the Velasquez fight. It was evident during the Morales 3, Marquez 2, Diaz, and De la Hoya fight. It was perfected during the Hatton fight.
The Manila Ice is now as powerful as the Bullet Left.
2005 to Present: Combo Version 2
Remember the Face Body Combo? Well, it is now upgraded. The variety of punches are now staggering: hooks, uppercuts, crosses, jabs, straights. Pacquiao moves in and out, side to side, throwing trajectory angle power punches while moving at an unpredictable direction at an uncanny speed. It used to be 2 combo at most, now it is 4 or 5. And his stamina is still there, he never gets tired punching.
Manny Pacquiao is still improving:
- fighting backwards
- counter-punching
Manny Pacquiao is one of those athletes who are genetically gifted. He has inborn speed, fast footwork, freakish stamina, durable chin, powerful punches, and ambidextrous hands. But gifts can only take you so far, a fighter also needs training and hard work.
Mid 1990s: Bullet Left
When Pacquiao was just first starting out in boxing, he keeps moving forward. Even with his gifts, Pacquiao's defense was just not that good.
He was a one trick pony - jab, jab, straight left. He won most of his early fights by overwhelming his enemies with barrages of lefts. Pacquiao was punched a lot, but he didn't mind, as long as his machine gun lefts keeps raining.
The right jab has double purpose, as a measuring stick and as a setup for his powerful straight left to the face. His left is so fast that most of his opponents didn’t see what hit them. The power of Manny Pacquiao’s left straight comes from his legs, using his whole body starting from his calf muscles.
Late 1990s: Face Body Combo
This is when the Combo first appeared. During this time Manny incorporated his famous face and body combo. Once his opponent covers up to protect the face, Pacquiao follows-up with a punch to the side of the body. Up and down, up and down, over and over again, Pacquiao targeting the uncovered part.
Early 2000s: Crossover
This is when the crossover defense footwork manifested. After straighting his opponent with his left, he circles to the right of his opponents. By the time the opponent throws a counter, Manny is nowhere to be found, he's already behind them. It's like a crossover move in a sport that Manny Pacquiao plays - basketball.
2005 to Present: Manila Ice
When Freddie Roach became Pacquiao's new trainer, he saw Pacquiao's obvious weakness: over-relying on the straight left.
Marquez capitalized on this weakness during the first fight. His lost to Morales showed that Pacquiao was still relying on his straight left, and not incorporating the right hand as planned.
Roach drilled Pacquiao to use his natural gift of ambidextrous hands - hence the right hook, a.k.a. "Manila Ice" was born. So began the long and repetitious training of Pacquiao's right hand.
“Sometimes I get bored doing the right hook over and over again,” said Pacquiao.
It took Pacquiao years to perfect the right hook. The Manila Ice was first seen during the Velasquez fight. It was evident during the Morales 3, Marquez 2, Diaz, and De la Hoya fight. It was perfected during the Hatton fight.
The Manila Ice is now as powerful as the Bullet Left.
2005 to Present: Combo Version 2
Remember the Face Body Combo? Well, it is now upgraded. The variety of punches are now staggering: hooks, uppercuts, crosses, jabs, straights. Pacquiao moves in and out, side to side, throwing trajectory angle power punches while moving at an unpredictable direction at an uncanny speed. It used to be 2 combo at most, now it is 4 or 5. And his stamina is still there, he never gets tired punching.
Manny Pacquiao is still improving:
- fighting backwards
- counter-punching
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