Similar: Mayweather vs Pacquiao and Calzaghe vs Hopkins
A comparison that may have some merit from a fight style perspective.
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Its something that only dawned on me the other day, as I was watching some of the Mayweather vs Pacquiao build up. If you were to compare this fight style wise to another big fight of the past, Joe Calzaghe vs Bernard Hopkins might represent some common components to look out for on May 2nd.
Calzaghe at the time beat Hopkins in a close split decision, many crediting his speed, footwork and work rate on the night which as a southpaw, was able to give the crafty counter punching American Hopkins all he could handle on the night (and then some), essentially taking him out of his rhythm and comfort zone.
Fast forward to 2015, see any resemblances? Another American pot shot magician takes on a another super fast south paw form over seas, with a beaver like work rate and the speed of a cheetah.
Now obviously Floyd Mayweather is not Bernard Hopkins and Manny Pacquiao is not Joe Calzaghe, but from a style perspective, there’s definitely similarities.
From day one I’ve thought Mayweather will win the fight but having watched the Calcaghe vs Hopkins fight back today, it made me think twice.
If Manny were to apply the same level of pressure early on and indeed throughout the fight on Floyd, which Calzaghe was able to do against BHop, it could make for a rather uncomfortable night for Floyd, potentially.
Hopkins complained after the fight that he felt he should have got the decision, but I thought Calzaghe did enough by one or two rounds at the time and showed tremendous heart to get up from an early Hopkins knock down, to then go on to take the fight to the Philly legend.
What was interesting in their bout, was that Hopkins visibly slowed down in the second half of the fight due to Calzaghe’s overwhelming work rate which in truth, he just couldn’t match.
It was a very scrappy affair at times but if it wasn’t for Calzaghe pressing the action, there would have been virtually no fight.
Hopkins towards the end of the bout complained of a foul from Calzaghe, but many spectators saw it as a way for the aging Bernard to take a breather late in the fight, due to how hard Calzaghe was able to make him work that night with his frenzy like punch output.
If Pacquiao stuck to a simple in and out gameplan of using his almost super human footwork, throwing as many punches as he’s ever done, conceivably he could take a decision over Floyd.
Then again though, I believe Mayweather is an even better counter puncher than Hopkins was and also that fight was at light heavyweight.
There’s probably a slim chance that Mayweather is going to tire at welterweight like Hopkins did at 175 lbs that night, Mayweather is famed for his conditioning.
Nonetheless, its an interesting fight comparison and from a style standpoint, certainly represents some common traits.
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