Rios thrown off rhythm by Manny’s volume punching

MACAU – Brandon Rios was simply not on the level of Manny Pacquiao as evidenced by the Filipino’s lopsided win over him in their fight at the Cotai Arena in this vibrant city on Sunday.

The punch statistics further attested to this.

READ: Smarter Pacquiao batters Rios in rout

According to Compubox, which tallies the punches thrown the entire fight, Pacquiao’s high number of blows forced Rios – himself a known volume puncher – to hold back on his offense.

Pacquiao, on average, landed 23 of 66 shots per round compared to Rios’ norm of 12-of-42 per round.

This pales in comparison to Rios’ norm in his previous six fights, where he landed an average of 25 per 74 punches per canto.

In the post-fight conference, Rios pointed to Pacquiao’s vaunted speed as the source of his suffering in his 12-round loss to the fighting congressman.

"His best punch was his quickness," said Rios.

Pacquiao spent the day peppering Rios with flurries almost each round, then darting out of trouble or clinching when needed. In the sixth round, he opened a cut on Rios’ left eyelid which further forced his foe to go on the defensive.

When the final bell sounded, Pacquiao had landed 281 of 790 punches thrown for a 36 percent connect rate. Rios, meanwhile, landed a measly 138 out of 502 blows (27 percent).

The heavy-handed Rios was likewise no match for Pacquiao in the power punching department, being limited to connecting on just 9 power punches per round – a big disappointment compared the 21 power punches that he landed in his previous six fights.

Pacquiao was so dominant on Sunday that even Rios conceded that the Filipino’s best days as a prizefighter are far from over.

“I tip my hat off to Pacquiao. He still has it,” he said.