Saturday

Pacquiao has chance if he could slip through Mayweather’s defense – ESPN


Veteran ESPN commentator Teddy Atlas has picked Floyd Mayweather Jr. to win over Manny Pacquiao in the much-anticipated superfight scheduled on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Atlas said in a video that Mayweather has the size advantage as the bigger fighter, standing an inch taller and having a longer reach than the smaller and lighter Pacquiao.

Pacman's knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012 also adds a psychological upper-hand to the unbeaten pound-for-pound king, according to the former boxing trainer.

"The edge goes to Mr. Mayweather, the Money man," he said. "He is the better defensive fighter, the guy that will take advantage of reckless aggression of Pacquiao."

Atlas, however, said that Pacman still has a chance if he could slip through the American boxer's seemingly impenetrable defense, which won him 47 fights in his professional career.

"Pacquiao needs to understand that sometimes Mayweather gets intoxicated with his defense," he said. "He starts slipping and sliding a little too much sometimes and allows you to get into him."

Still, Mayweather will be brimming with confidence as he never had a single taste of loss, according to Atlas. The eight-division champion needs to utilize his speed, his greatest weapon, in order to land some shots and steal rounds.

"Pacquiao can match Floyd just about with hand speed," he said. "He’s a little busier than Floyd. Pacquiao will have opportunities with Floyd when he is in the defensive mode a little too much." — Marisse Panaligan/LBG, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com