Comments Thread For: Is Pacquiao Destined To Suffer The Fate of Ali, Leonard & Others?

[Eff Pandas]

When you talk about Pac getting KTFO early in his career, you are talking about a not prime under developed fighter fighting at too low of a weight class. He was probably eating whatever cat he could find raw. 3rd world style. Yes, he got knocked out by Marquez in his prime. One of the top Mexican fighters ever. I'd still put Pac's opposition and wins over a lot of today's fighters. Will he beat Thurman in his 40s? I don't know, but I sure don't count his losses against him. Saying he got KTFO in his teens really doesn't mean much.

This article doesn't really mean much.

Ali & SRL were on a whole other level than Manny later in their career. They still had some level of otherworldly-ness to them in the later stage of their career.

Manny doesn't have that. He lost that with the JMM KO loss & you could even argue he never had it due to his early defeats including being KO'd before he was Pacman to us.

[wrecksracer]

This article doesn't really mean much.

Ali & SRL were on a whole other level than Manny later in their career. They still had some level of otherworldly-ness to them in the later stage of their career.

Manny doesn't have that. He lost that with the JMM KO loss & you could even argue he never had it due to his early defeats including being KO'd before he was Pacman to us.

Compared to Ali and SRL? Yeah. All the same, to argue that Pac is some kind of smoke and mirrors champion when he has one of the more impressive resumes of the last 30 years....well, you can do that if you want to. I'm a Hearns guy, and you could argue about his greatness, too. He had losses. I don't put a lot of stock in "this guy has losses"

[Cracaphat]

One Time has become No Time.The slippage he hopes to see with Pacquaio isn't at that level yet.Or he ain't the man to render it.Probably the latter.Thurman,along with Broner,Porter and a few others have just never been that good.

[chirorickyp]

I thought this was going to be one of those 'predictable' types of stories, full of cliche', hyperbole, and tiresome, over-used phrases, words and references.

So I was surprised at how well Mr Rosenthal avoided such an easily cookie-cutter style of writing and genuinely, interestingly, persistently presented a great back and forth argument for both fighters - even critically second guessing some points that are easy to make.

So job well done Mr Rosenthal - I doubt in the rough and tumble of boxing politics and it's scribes rarely is a compliment forwarded, but this was a sterling effort, almost like a narrative of a fight itself.

Pacquiao is something of an enigma in the sport - although only those who have a great eye or who have done proper fight training will be able to appreciate the rarest of boxing skills Pac possessed ( and perhaps still possess though diminished).

That has been his ability to throw punches and get out of the way with 'the bounce'. There is just a slight difference between those like Ali, Leonard and just a handful of others -

Yet it becomes a chasm in a fight when a boxer can coordinate his entire body into a singular unified object in terms of balance and multiple movements in between the half second the feet leave the canvas and touch down again.
Ballet dancers and gymnasts would understand the type of bio-mechanical point that I am ill-equipped to articulate.

To try and finish the point - I would boldly say that 98% of fighters throughout the entire history of the sport may have had speed, technique, athleticism, hand-eye coordination, power, heart, a good chin etc etc - but they still need even if just briefly - to set themselves properly to throw effective punches.

Throwing effective punches while bouncing from toe to toe is just so rare that it may save Pac in that he still has that muscle memory.
This is an interesting bout because what awaits them in the ring are questions they will both have to face: for Pac it is can he still go round, and for Thurman it will be not so conclusive maybe, but he will still have to show whether he has what it takes to FINISH Pac's career, to beat him up, to beat him or has his fire gone out and will he get beaten?

It's highly unlikely, but then again I'll finish with a cliché: stranger things have happened.

That was better than the article.

[hugh grant]

If Thurman beats Pac via kind of robbery like horn did, pac will likely continue. Maybe try beating Spencer instead or Crawford.
But Pacs earlier career losses don't count against Pac. As Pac was WIP and wasn't the finished article. Someone like Floyd was pretty much the same from a young age as he was training since in diapers. And he has kind of reached a certain level at a a younger age and remained there.

But Pac will not likely fight bums to close career out getting back to subject, as he isn't a cherry picker.

[R.KHLMS4LIFE]

I hope pacquiao wins this fight it's a very winnable fight for pacquiao, if pacquiao loses yet it's a controversial loss like Bradley or horn I see pacquiao fighting one more time against someone like Khan get the ko plus a nice check then retire on a good note . If pacquiao wins this then pacquiao should fight Garcia then Khan then retire off to the sunset

[Combat Talk Radio]

I sometimes wonder how many of the keyboard army here actually fight themselves?

Fighting, training and the atmosphere of a good camp is very, very hard to give up...especially if you are paid a fortune to do it.

I stopped at 40, I have friends in their fifties than STILL fight in Regional bouts.

Never judge a man until you walk a mile in his shoes.

Never boxed pro, but despite how the adrenaline rush feels, after making that first million dollars, I'd have been out the game, start up a business and invest.

Compared to Ali and SRL? Yeah. All the same, to argue that Pac is some kind of smoke and mirrors champion when he has one of the more impressive resumes of the last 30 years....well, you can do that if you want to. I'm a Hearns guy, and you could argue about his greatness, too. He had losses. I don't put a lot of stock in "this guy has losses"

It's not about losing, it's who you lost to.

There'd be no shame losing to Thurman. None. But it should mark his retirement.

If Thurman beats Pac via kind of robbery like horn did,

...

But Pacs earlier career losses don't count against Pac.

That's an excuse.

He lost to a teacher in Horn. On the record.
He lost to Bradley. On the record.
He lost to Floyd. On the record.
Etc etc etc. All of his losses matter.

I hope pacquiao wins this fight it's a very winnable fight for pacquiao, if pacquiao loses yet it's a controversial loss like Bradley or horn

It doesn't matter if there's controversy. A loss is a loss and he should retire.

[afont501]

TLDR

I dig BS to bs with boxing fans, but some of these articles I wouldn't have turned in for a 9th grade English class report.

And the clickbait titles are tired so yea.

Opinions are like A*******

[Thebrasileno]

Agreed. So far with the exception of Jeff Horn (Smiles™) Manny's opponents have been very well hand picked to be winnable fights against credible opponents and I think Keith fits in that category.

Manny is going to get stopped early!!! Manny is over hyped?

[Thebrasileno]

Manny was juicing to!!