By Chris Williams: I honestly don’t know what’s happened to WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO’s). I’ve never seen an athlete slow down as much as I’ve seen Pacquiao slow down in the past two years. He’s gone from jumping around like a young rabbit to fighting like a heavyweight carrying 100 pounds of sand in his trunks.
Pacquiao, 32, is no longer jumping around and has become a total plodder. Pacquiao is facing Juan Manuel Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KO’s) on November 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marquez turns 38-years-old on August 23, which makes him another old guy that Pacquiao has faced in the past three years. Pacquiao has fought 36-year-old Oscar De La Hoya, 39-year-old Shane Mosley and now 38-year-old Marquez.
That certainly gives Pacquiao a big advantage when he’s matched up against fighters at or near the ends of their careers. However, I think Pacquiao is going to be the older fighter in the Marquez bout. He’s 32 and soon to be 33, but fighting like a guy that is nearing 40. I don’t know what’s happened to Pacquiao. Maybe it’s the power feeding they’re doing with him by having him eat 7000 calories a day during training camp. Whatever it is they need stop and try to rejuvenate him.
Believe me, Pacquiao was far better before he started putting on weight and going overboard with the calories. But it could be just age rearing it’s ugly head and not the eating and or training. I’ve seen guys that when they turned 32, they looked and fought like a 40-year-old and vice versa.
Look at Tiger Woods. He’s only 35, but he’s totally lost it since two years ago. The reflexes seem to have gone and he’s playing terrible golf. I think we have the same thing with Pacquiao. He’s just not the same fighter he once was, and I think Marquez is going to be the younger fighter November and cause a big upset.
My Take: I do not think that Pacquiao will be the old guy in Pacquiao vs Marquez fight. He has evolved from a young rabbit to a great fighter. Pacquiao has sharpened his skills because once he set his foot in the ring he give his all for the fight. He enter the ring not to jump around like a young rabbit but to box like what real boxers do. Jumping and running around during match, you will see this kind of boxing styles in young boxers but Manny Pacquiao already evolved from that. He think, he observes and he delivers great punches to his enemy. That's why he more capable boxer than Floyd Mayweather who keeps on blabbering like a little girl.
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