Watch: Mike Tyson offers advice for Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao
Mike Tyson offered advice in a YouTube video for Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao ahead of their highly anticipated May 2 bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Citing Pacquiao's active style, Tyson said he thinks Mayweather might not be able to keep up if he doesn't speed up and throw more punches early.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSLaIpFM66k]
"When you think about the two fighters and the people that gave Pacquiao the most difficult time in his career, only the people that threw over 100 punches a round—[Tim] Bradley, [Juan Manuel] Marquez—Floyd doesn't throw nowhere near 100 punches a round. You know what I mean? He's more of a scientific fighter, he really plots a lot and he sits around and he pulls it. [Pacquiao's] all over, trading, moving. ... That's just my opinion. I just don't think he's going to be able to play that plodding skill. [Pacquiao's] like perpetual motion."
Pacquiao (57–5–2, 38 knockouts) has won three straight fights, but his last two losses came consecutively to Bradley in June 2012 and Marquez in December 2012. Against Marquez, Pacquiao was knocked out in the sixth round but threw 256 punches to Marquez's 246. He also landed 37% of those punches to Marquez's 21%. Against Bradley (a 12-round split-decision loss), Pacquiao threw 751 punches to Bradley's 839, but landed 34% to Bradley's 19%.
• Mayweather-Pacquiao fight the only treatment for Freddie Roach's pain
Pacquiao won a unanimous 12-round bout in a rematch with Bradley last April, again being outpunched (627–563) but landing a greater percentage (35%–22%).
In comparison, Mayweather (47–0, 26 knockouts) has thrown 326, 426 and 505 punches in his last three bouts, all 12-round decisions.
Earlier this week, Marquez said that although Mayweather's style is different than Pacquiao's, it might not necessarily change for the fight.
• Cheapest Mayweather-Pacquiao ticket will be $1,500
"Floyd's style and technique has given him 47 wins, so why take a risk in the biggest fight of his career? Floyd is a technical fighter who can make it a boring fight if that suits him," Marquez told ESPN Deportes.
"But I think for me, in terms of the fight, if it can be a quiet fight for Floyd. He's going to take that and look to get a clear decision."
- Mike Fiammetta
