Barry Hunter, the trainer for IBF junior welterweight champion Lamont Peterson, is very thrilled for the May 2nd super-fight between Floyd Mayweather (47-0, 26 knockouts) and Manny Pacquiao (57-5, 38 knockouts.
While Hunter believes Mayweather will win the fight if he sticks to a defensive-minded game plan, he also emphasizes that Pacquiao has just as much of a chance to win if he lures Mayweather into a rough fight.
It’s going to be interesting to see what strategy Mayweather employs for May 2nd. One must suspect that Mayweather will be more aggressive than usual.
For example, videos have been posted of Mayweather chopping wood and sparring partner Cody Crowley (3-0, 2 knockouts) confirmed that the pound-for-pound king knocked out an unnamed fighter out during the second round of a sparring session.
If Mayweather fights articulately, it seems that it’s his fight to win, but Mayweather will have to provide some sort of offense if he’s going to take down Pacquiao. In an interview with FightHype.com, Hunter adds that Mayweather tends to take apart sluggers who come straight at him, and he reckons Pacquiao will want to brawl.
“I think that Floyd is one of the more cerebral fighters in the game today. Floyd has a very easy time with people that are aggressive and attack him, taking the role of the matador,” said Hunter. “I think, looking at Floyd, if he sticks to that style of fight, I think he will be victorious.”
However, Hunter believes Pacquiao has a chance to beat Mayweather if he can lure him out of his comfort zone.
“If Manny can lure Floyd into making Floyd come forward, if he (Mayweather) does anything different, then you got to give Manny a chance. He’s a volume punch type of guy, and he’s the guy that loves confrontation. If he can lure Floyd into that style of fight, then he could flip the script,” Hunter said.
This has all the elements to make an exciting fight. Pacquiao will bring it to Mayweather in a way that has never been brought to him before, but how he fights Pacquiao will play a crucial factor. In fights against the likes of Marcos Maidana (the first fight), Oscar De La Hoya, and Miguel Cotto, Mayweather had to get out of his defensive shell for parts of the fight and slug it out.
None of those guys have the speed of a Manny Pacquiao, but you also have to keep in mind that Pacquiao has struggled against counter-punchers. Fighters like Chris Algieri and Juan Manuel Marquez are not in the same class as a Floyd Mayweather Jr.
