Julio Cesar Chavez is an all-time great and one of the most financially lucrative fighters in the history of the sport. He has been in some major promotions, but even he will tell you that the magnitude of the May 2nd showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is unlike any other event in the history of the sport.
The fight is being widely debated amongst both fighters’ incredibly dedicated fan bases. The perception is Pacquiao will have to find a way to institute his aggressive style against Mayweather’s methodical boxing skills.
Chavez was in a similar situation when he fought Meldrick Taylor in March of 1990. Chavez was being outclassed before staging a late comeback with a brutal assault. Heading into the last round, most believed that Chavez was too far behind the scorecards to win the fight without a dramatic knockout. He ended up getting the stoppage in one of boxing’s most controversial endings.
With this particular fight in mind, along with the rest of his astounding career, Chavez has some idea of what it will take for Pacquiao to defy the odds and hand Mayweather his first loss. Chavez believes that Mayweather will win, but he believes there is a way for Pacquiao to pull the upset, although it is a pretty dark recommendation.
“Pacquiao will miss a lot of punches and Mayweather will counter back,” Chavez told ESNEWS through a translator in an interview posted on their YouTube channel. “If I was Pacquiao’s trainer I would tell him ‘instead of focusing too much on God, convert yourself to becoming a demon that day and try to tear off Mayweather’s head’ because that’s the only way he can beat Mayweather.
“He has to put pressure on him Mayweather from the first round to the last bell stay on him, that’s the only way Pacquiao wins, if not Mayweather will dance all over him.”
Chavez’s logic tells him that Mayweather will win, but he will be pulling for the Filipino that better embodies the spirit of the Mexican style.
“It will take an aggressive Pacquiao, being on him, staying close and not giving space by putting on pressure to Mayweather. I would bet on Pacquiao with my heart and Mayweather with my head.”
