MANILA, Philippines - The only way Manny Pacquiao gets to defeat Floyd Mayweather is to knock him out.
Pacquiao’s archrival Juan Manuel Marquez, offered the tip to the Filipino icon as he tries to accomplish what 47 other boxers before him tried but failed to.
In a report by boxingscene.com, Marquez pointed out that Pacquiao needs to deal with Mayweather’s myriad skills to emerge victorious in their May 2 showdown in Las Vegas.
“Mayweather has the defensive resources, technique, speed, and counter-attacks to do a lot of damage to Pacquiao, and I think he will impose [those traits],” the Mexican legend said.
Marquez knows Pacquiao from head to toe, having tangled with the fighting congressman for four epic bouts that culminated in a sensational knockout victory for the Mexican in 2012. Prior to that, the 41-year-old boxer drew with Pacquiao in their first encounter in 2004 then lost close decisions in their next two rematches.
Marquez in 2009 also challenged Mayweather, who dominated him to win a decision.
Pacquiao will now attempt what Marquez and other fighters had failed to do – deal Mayweather his first setback.
And the only way to do it, according to Marquez, will be via a knockout.
“I know how judges perform in Las Vegas, as we saw that fight where Jose Luis Castillo beat [Mayweather]. However, [the judges] gave it to Mayweather and Pacquiao has no alternative but to knock Mayweather out to end his undefeated record,” he said.
Marquez referred to Mayweather’s first fight with Jose Luis Castillo in 2002, where the Mexican challenger appeared to have done enough to win. Castillo, however, lost via a controversial unanimous decision in the bout that some observers thought he should’ve won.
Castillo got another crack at Mayweather in the same year, but that time, the American had already adjusted and fashioned out a convincing decision win.
Hence Marquez’s simple advice to Pacquiao: don’t leave it to the judges’ hands.
That won’t be an easy task.