Pacquiao - Mayweather: Their Last 3 Fights

Last time around, we have finished our review and analysis of Pacquiao and Mayweather's five common opponents. The statistics have shown that Pacquiao has superior offense whereas Mayweather has much better defense.

Now we move on forward with their last three fights. We will see how much they have improved and declined on their most recent fights. We will also explore how their strategies have changed and how they are coping with their advanced age. Pacquiao is 36 to Mayweather's 38.

Give me a caption!

We continue our marathon coverage of the Pacquiao-Mayweather mega fight. This is entry No.005.

The following statistics shows Pacquiao and Mayweather's punch output against their last three foes. Mayweather last fough Marcos Maidana twice and Saul Alvarez. Meanwhile, Manny fought Chris Algieri, Timothy Bradley and Brandon Rios.


The OFFENSE

OFFENSE
Opponents	Floyd Mayweather, Jr			Manny Pacquiao
	Jabs	Power Shots	Total	Jabs	Power Shots	Total
Marcos Maidana 2 / Chris Algieri	52 / 152	178 / 274	230 / 426	42 / 259	187 / 410	229 / 669
	34%	64%	53%	16%	45%	34%
Marcos Maidana 1 / Tim Bradley 2	64 / 149	102 / 177	166 / 326	50 / 219	148 / 344	198 / 563
	42%	57%	50%	22%	43%	35%
Saul Alvarez / Brandon Rios	139 / 330	93 / 175	232 / 505	58 / 322	223 / 468	281 / 790
	42%	53%	45%	18%	47%	35%
TOTAL	255 / 631	373 / 626	628 / 1257	150 / 800	558 / 1222	708 / 2022
	40%	59%	49%	18%	45%	35%
AVERAGE	85 / 210.3	124.3 / 208.7	209.3 / 419	50 / 266.7	186 / 407.3	236 / 674
	40%	59%	49%	18%	45%	35%

1. The story of the jab accounts for the huge discrepancy in their offense. Mayweather lands 40% of his jabs compared to Pacquiao's poor 18%. In terms of quantity, Mayweather landed 255 jabs to Pacquiao's 150 total. This is a critical part of the fight that we should take note. Mayweather can win this fight just by jabbing and getting away from Pacquiao. This will make the fight boring to watch and much easier for Mayweather to come up victorious.
2. On power shots, the numbers are much closer. Mayweather is very impressive with his 59% accuracy. Pacquiao is accurate, 45%, but relies more on volume punching.
3. Speaking of volume, Mayweather throws only about half of Pacquiao's 407 average power punches per fight. As a result, even with a lower accuracy, Pacquiao connected 186 to Mayweather's 124. That is 62 more shots to hurt and knock his opponent down.
4. Mayweather's accuracy to Pacquiao's volume. Mayweather will be choosy on his punches while Pacquiao will be very busy throwing bombs often. By defending more against the voluminous punches coming from Pacquiao, Mayweather's punch output will dip even more. Pacquiao threw a total of 2000 punches to Mayweather's 1200 in these 3 fights. The busier and more aggressive fighter will be Pacquiao.

The DEFENSE

DEFENSE
Opponents	Floyd Mayweather, Jr			Manny Pacquiao
	Jabs	Power Shots	Total	Jabs	Power Shots	Total
Marcos Maidana 2 / Chris Algieri	36 / 318	185 / 540	221 / 858	28 / 257	80 / 212	108 / 469
	11%	34%	25%	10%	37%	23%
Marcos Maidana 1 / Tim Bradley 2	41 / 237	87 / 335	128 / 572	32 / 287	109 / 340	138 / 502
	17%	25%	22%	11%	32%	22%
Saul Alvarez / Brandon Rios	44 / 294	73 / 232	117 / 526	25 / 239	113 / 263	138 / 502
	14%	31%	22%	10%	42%	27%
TOTAL	121 / 849	345 / 1107	466 / 1956	85 / 783	302 / 815	387 / 1598
	14%	31%	23%	10%	37%	24%
AVERAGE	40.3 / 283	115 / 369	155.3 / 652	28.3 / 261	100.7 / 271.7	129 / 532.7
	14%	31%	23%	10%	37%	24%

1. Pacquiao defended better against jabs. Only 10% of jabs connected against him whereas 14% were able to hit Mayweather. In total jabs, only 28 for Pacquiao and 40 for Mayweather.
2. Pacquiao also defended better against power shots in terms of total shots he absorbed. Pacquiao was hit by 101 power shots per fight compared to 115 for Mayweather.
3. Overall, Pacquiao was only hit 387 times by Algieri, Bradley and Rios while Mayweather got hit 466 times by Alvarez and Maidana in 2 fights.
4. Based on percentage, Mayweather got the better of Pacquiao. Only 31% of power shots and 23% of all punches combined connected against him, whereas Pacquiao got hit 37% of power shots and 24% of all punches.
5. More punches are being thrown against Mayweather as compared to Pacquiao. Part of this, we give credit to Maidana for unleashing an aggressive attack againt Floyd. Part also to Pacquiao because his in-and-out style makes it more difficult for his opponents to throw a punch against him. Mayweather has stood more in front of his opponents that is why more punches are being thrown against him.

Pacquiao's Decline

The prime years of Manny Pacquiao were when he outclassed Dela Hoya, Hatton and Cotto. He perhaps started to slow down and declined before or after the Juan Manuel Marquez knock out. 

Let us graph Pacquiao's offense and defense. On the OFFENSE half of the following graphs, the first pair of bars shows his average statistics against his 5 common opponents with Mayweather. The second pair of bars shows his average against his last 3 opponents. Likewise, on the DEFENSE half of the graphs, the first pair is against 5 common opponents with Mayweather and the second pair is against his last 3.

Pacquiao's Overall Punches Thrown (OFFENSE) and Thrown Against Him (DEFENSE)

Clearly, Pacquiao's punch output is down from 731 to 674. Even more alarming, his punch connected has significantly dropped from 304 to 236. On defense, he has now allowed 129 punches to land against him. About 14 more from 114.8 against the 5 common opponents with Mayweather. Offense has declined much and defense has declined a little.

Pacquiao's POWER Punches

The Power punches of Manny Pacquiao are in serious decline. We have not seen him knock out an opponent since Miguel Cotto in 2009, almost a 6-year KO drought. And much of it is due to his downward output in total power shots thrown (from 467 to 407) and mostly in power shots connected (from a 254 to 186).


Mayweather's DECLINE
It is not only Pacquiao who is on the decline. Even Floyd Mayweather has succumbed to ageing. He does not move a lot like when he was younger. Today, he stands more against his opponents which has significantly degraded his defense.

Mayweather's Total Punches Thrown (OFFENSE) and Thrown Against Him (DEFENSE)

Mayweather's POWER Punches

Mayweather has retained his offense and has even improved his accuracy by reducing his movements around the boxing ring. The negative side of it is he becomes more vulnerable to his opponents attacks. From a very tight defense allowing only 93 total punches per fight, he now absorbs 155. More telling, 115 power shots are landing against him which was only 63 previously. Compared with Pacquiao, Mayweather's defense is no longer impeccable.

Conclusions

PACQUIAO HAS DECLINED IN HIS OFFENSIVE OUTBURST.

• Pacquiao has declined in his punch output. Against their 5 common opponents, his average punches was 304 / 731. In his last 3 fights, it was down to 236 / 674. The punches are lesser and the accuracy is lower. Pacquiao's offense has definitely declined. He needs to improve on this to have a better chance against Mayweather.
• On defense, Pacquiao remains elusive with his movements. His defense against jabs is superior to Mayweather. However, his aggressiveness on offense gives a lot of opportunities for his opponents to fire back and counter him, usually with power shots. As a result, Pacquiao is still hittable with an alarming 37% of punches that landed against him.

MAYWEATHER HAS DECLINED IN HIS DEFENSIVE WIZARDRY.

• Mayweather has became even more accurate. This accuracy is very impressive and somewhat scary. His punch output has declined from 506 to 419 but his connection still managed to improve from 207.6 to 209. Almost 1 of every 2 punches land!
• On defense, Mayweather has opened himself up more. From evading 17% of his opponents total punches, his defense has gone worse to 23%. From 93 punches connected against him, the number went up to 155. This has got to improve. Mayweather cannot just stand against Pacquiao like what he did most of the time against Alvarez and Maidana. He needs to jab and take advantage of his 5-inch longer reach to stay away from Pacquiao.

MILO News Release - Poliquit, Tabal Conquer ASICS LA Marathon

Our friends from Milo Philippines just shared an inspiring marathon story of our very own Filipino marathoners Rafael Poliquit Jr. and Mary Joy Tabal who competed on the ASICS Los Angeles Marathon last March 15.

Milo News Letter:

Poliquit, Tabal conquer ASICS LA Marathon

Manila, Philippines – Fresh from their stellar victories in the 38th National MILO Marathon, Philippine Air Force member Rafael Poliquit Jr. and marathon record-holder Mary Joy Tabal completed the prestigious ASICS Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 15. Poliquit and Tabal, the reigning MILO Marathon King and Queen, were pitted against over 26,000 runners from 50 states of the US and 55 countries in the world, including the top athletes from the United States, who competed in the 42K running event to qualify for the US National Team for the 2016 Olympics.

Following last year’s delegation to the Paris Marathon, the National MILO Marathon awarded both athletes with all-expenses paid trips to the ASICS LA Marathon as the Philippine delegates sponsored by MILO. The ASICS LA Marathon is one of the five largest full marathons in the United States, and one of the ten largest races in the world.
The 26-year-old Davaoeño Poliquit clocked in at 2:36:09 and ranked 27th overall in the men’s division. In the distaff side, 25-year-old Cebuana Tabal posted a time of 2:51:17 and finished 27th overall in the women’s division.

Journey to the finish line
According to race organizer Rio dela Cruz, the athletes traveled early and were able to prepare and acclimatize to the cool weather. Both were in top shape in the months leading to the race, fully focused in following their training regimen which consisted of muscle recovery, strength and speed workouts and endurance training, as well as mental conditioning and proper nutrition.

California was baked in heat on race day, but it was nothing compared to the scorching sun in the Philippines. In fact, Poliquit found the weather to be cool, and made the race very challenging. “I am not really used to colder weather. I had difficulties in breathing normally as I went along the race. I was also unable to hydrate myself well because I thought I wasn’t thirsty because of the cold,” admitted Poliquit. “I also felt that my lower limbs were starting to cramp past the 30KM mark. This was truly challenging, because the route had more uphill parts towards the second half.”

Tabal, however, found the colder weather good and used it to her advantage. “It wasn’t too cold and it wasn’t too hot, which, for me, is good for a race. The route was wide open, no vehicles, and it was safe for us to move freely, but still, it was very challenging,” shared Tabal. “I was not included amongst the group of elite runners whose gun time was ahead by ten minutes, so I had to catch up and make up for the delay. I also wanted to run alongside somebody so I can set my pace, but I could not find anyone and had to push myself and maintain a good pace until the finish line.”

Running with the greats

Aside from the different challenges both were faced with, it was an added test for both Poliquit and Tabal to run with elite runners from all over the United States who were vying to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. Still, this fueled the two more to strive and persevere to show that Filipinos can compete with the world’s best.

“The Africans, especially the Ethiopians and Kenyans, were the fastest among the group, and it was very hard to keep stride with them. They really are made of a different caliber,” shared Poliquit. “During the start of the race, I was able to run alongside my idol, US marathoner Ryan Hall. It is one of the highlights of my first international race. I didn’t expect that I would be able to join a big international race like this. It’s a dream come true.”

Tabal admitted that she had to chase the female elite runners in the hopes of finishing with a higher rank. “I was able to keep up with best runners and I was really confident of finishing in the top 10, but I suddenly had a bad stomach and it affected my running,” said Tabal. “I had to shift to a relaxed pace in order to survive the race. The supporters along the road cheered me on, shouting “Go Baby Girl!”, and it spurred me on. I made it and it was a very wonderful and rewarding experience.”

Raising the Philippine flag high

Both runners shared that the support of MILO and the Filipino community powered their will to give pride to the country and inspire the youth to become champions.

“The ASICS LA Marathon is another accomplishment and a dream come true for me, as a runner. It’s an honor to represent the Philippines in a big international event. I would like to thank MILO for believing in us to reach the international stage. I am very grateful to my coach Philip Dueñas. I wouldn’t be here if not for his patience, effort and support,” said Tabal. “I would like to dedicate this achievement to my kababayans, especially the Cebuanos, who always give their all-out support. When I crossed the finish line, it felt like it wasn’t just me who did it, but my kababayans, the entire nation also crossed it with me.”

Poliquit echoes Tabal’s sentiments in representing the Philippines. “I’m so proud and happy to represent the country in Los Angeles. I am grateful to MILO for giving me this once in a lifetime chance, and to the Philippine Air Force for allowing me to grab this amazing opportunity, and of course, my family who has always believed in me,” expressed Poliquit.

MILO Sports Marketing Manager Andrew Neri expressed his pride for the two athletes. “Rafael and Mary Joy have truly raised the Philippine flag high in Los Angeles, and proved once again that Filipinos are exceptional and world class. We are delighted to have provided them the platform to showcase their athletic excellence amongst the world’s best runners,” remarked MILO Sports Marketing Manager Andrew Neri.

The National MILO Marathon holds an esteemed position in the world map of marathon destinations, due to its certification from the Association of International Marathons (AIMS) and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The National MILO Marathon will usher in its 39th season in June of this year with a goal to engage more runners and continue its Help Give Shoes advocacy by donating brand new running shoes to school children.

Long Run to Nuvali

I just found a new playground.

Before I ran to Nuvali, my plan was to run in loops twice and a half more for an 18-kilometer run. Then Lynnel, my sister-in-law, suggested I take the route to Nuvali. The idea was further reinforced when my church Pastor took me along for a Christian leadership training in Malvar, Batangas. Going to Batangas, we drive through the road to Nuvali.

Sunday morning, I was there running the agricultural fields of Silang, Cavite to Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna. It was a very satisfying long distance run and I am so glad to find this new running route for my weekend long runs. No more 3km and 7km loops on weekends, the Nuvali route is at least 18km and I will just extend the route more and more as my endurance builds and increases.

This route is mostly straight and descents. Armed with excitement for a new route and a new long distance record (my previous high was 15km last February), I was very excited. The views of the nature, the agricultural fields, grasses and trees and the very limited houses were a welcome sight. There were very few vehicles on the road. I reached the city of Sta. Rosa in 57 minutes (around 5:25 minutes per kilometer).

My difficulties began on my return run. First, I was starting to tire. Second, it is now 7 o'clock and the heat of the sun starts to torch my face and skin. Third and most difficult of all, the ascent is grueling and heart breaking. The sports tracker application said I ascended a total of a little less than 500 meters. That is quite high as I had always find it tough to bike my way to Tagaytay which has total ascent of 400 meters (Did I say I find 400m difficult on a bike? 500 on foot is therefore much harder). The uphill battle got the better of me as I gave up and walked a few meters before I reached the flats again. The return trip took 68 minutes (7:30 minutes per kilometer), way slower than my first 9 kilometers.

My First Long Run to Nuvali

I know I will beat this route better next weekend. For now, let me bask in my little triumph of upping my long distance record of year 2015 to 18.4 kilometers. Yehey!

Pacquiao - Mayweather: Five Common Opponents

We have already covered Pacquiao and Mayweather's five common opponents independently. It is now time to compare them, who is better relative to their respective body of work against the common five?

Image from wbcboxing.com

We continue our marathon coverage of the Pacquiao-Mayweather mega fight. This is entry No.004.

Caveat first, Pacquiao against Dela Hoya, Hatton and Marquez did not go the full 12 rounds. Also, Mayweather dispatched Ricky Hatton in 10 rounds. To compare the statistics, we must normalize them. Meaning, adjust the punch statistics to common and comparable values. Why?

1. If we compare the total punches thrown in a fight between a 12-round fight and an 8-round fight, we would err. The 8-round fight has less time to throw and land punches compared to 12 rounds.
2. Floyd knocked out Hatton in 10 rounds. Pacquiao did it in 2. If we do not normalize the statistics, we will conclude that Floyd throws much more punches than Manny. And Floyd connects with a lot more power shots compared to Manny. Which is incorrect. 

I normalized the statistics to project the 2 (Pacquiao-Hatton), 6 (Pacquiao-Marquez 4), 8 (Pacquiao-Dela Hoya) and 10 (Mayweather-Hatton) round fights to 12 full rounds. Paquiao-Cotto was also shortened by a knock-out victory, but it happened in the 12th round so we do not normalize that fight and let it be as it is.

• N = (S x 12) / R, where
• N is our normalized statistic
• S is our original statistic
• R is the completed number of rounds

A quick test of our formula is the Pacquiao-Marquez fight which ended in only 6 rounds. Pacquiao threw 256 punches in that fight after 6 rounds. Had it ended in 12, he most probably would have doubled that output. N = (256 x 12) / 6 = 512. Of course, we are only trying to estimate as close as possible. This need not be complex as a rocket science.

So, here we go. Let us compare our normalized Offense statistics. These are the punches they have thrown and landed against their five common opponents.

OFFENSE
Opponents	Floyd Mayweather, Jr			Manny Pacquiao
	Jabs	Power Shots	Total	Jabs	Power Shots	Total
Miguel Cotto	51 / 305	128 / 382	179 / 687	60 / 220	276 / 560	336 / 780
	16%	33%	26%	27%	49%	43%
Shane Mosley	85 / 210	123 / 267	208 / 477	47 / 374	177 / 353	224 / 727
	40%	46%	43%	12%	50%	30%
Oscar Dela Hoya	69 / 240	138 / 241	207 / 481	43 / 378	292 / 499	336 / 877
	28%	57%	39%	11%	58%	38%
Ricky Hatton	34 / 86	120 / 308	154 / 394	48 / 132	390 / 630	438 / 762
	39%	38%	39%	36%	61%	57%
Juan Manuel Marquez	185 / 316	105 / 177	290 / 493	52 / 216	136 / 296	188 / 512
	58%	59%	58%	24%	45%	36%
TOTAL	424 / 1157	614 / 1375	1038 / 2532	250 / 1320	1271 / 2338	1522 / 3658
	36%	44%	40%	18%	54%	41%
AVERAGE	84.8 / 231.4	122.8 / 275	207.6 / 506.4	50 / 264	254.2 / 467.6	304.4 / 731.6
	36%	44%	40%	18%	54%	41%

What do we see?

1. Pacquiao landed close to 100 more punches than Mayweather, 304 to 208.
2. Mayweather landed more jabs, as expected, 85 to Pacquiao's 50.
3. Pacquiao detonated 254 power shots to Mayweather's 123.  That is more than twice. Not only is Pacquiao the harder puncher as evidenced by his 3 knockouts to Mayweather's 1 against those 5 common opponents, Pacquiao also landed so much more.
4. Pacquiao is more accurate than Mayweather, 41% to 40%. Pacquiao's accuracy in landing the killer blows is 54% to Mayweather's 44%. Pacquiao is a puncher.
   
5. Mayweather is more accurate in terms of jabs, 36% to Pacquiao's 18%. Mayweather is a boxer.
6. Come fight night, Mayweather's jabs will be key to his victory. And so is Pacquiao's ability or inability to hurt Mayweather with his flurry of punches. If Mayweather lands his jabs often, it will be difficult for Pacquiao to setup his offensive prowess. Pacquiao needs to connect his power shots and how he defends, evades or ignores the Mayweather jabs will be a major factor in this fight. Puncher versus boxer.

How about Defense? Pacquiao may be very strong and very busy with his power shots, but if he cannot hit Mayweather then it's frigging useless. Mayweather also cannot box effectively if Pacquiao can defend well against his jabs and his counter punches. So how have they defended against their common five opponents?

These are the punches their five common opponents have thrown and landed against them.

DEFENSE
Opponents	Floyd Mayweather, Jr			Manny Pacquiao
	Jabs	Power Shots	Total	Jabs	Power Shots	Total
Miguel Cotto	30 / 177	75 / 329	105 / 506	79 / 297	93 / 300	172 / 597
	16%	22%	20%	26%	31%	28%
Shane Mosley	46 / 283	46 / 169	92 / 452	44 / 250	22 / 80	66 / 330
	16%	27%	20%	17%	27%	20%
Oscar Dela Hoya	40 / 246	51 / 164	82 / 341	48 / 357	76 / 246	124 / 603
	16%	24%	20%	13%	30%	20%
Ricky Hatton	13 / 75	62 / 361	75 / 446	12 / 132	96 / 336	108 / 468
	17%	17%	16%	9%	28%	23%
Juan Manuel Marquez	21 / 288	48 / 295	69 / 583	22 / 192	82 / 300	104 / 492
	7%	16%	11%	11%	27%	21%
TOTAL	150 / 1069	313 / 1495	463 / 2574	205 / 1228	369 / 1262	574 / 2490
	14%	20%	17%	16%	29%	23%
AVERAGE	30 / 213.8	62.6 / 299	92.6 / 514.8	41 / 245.6	73.8 / 252.4	114.8 / 498
	14%	20%	17%	16%	29%	23%

What do we see?

1. Pacquiao has good defense, Mayweather has even better. Only 17% of punches thrown against Mayweather were able to land. Pacquiao managed to defend well, but not against 23% of punches thrown at him.
2. In terms of the punches connected against them, Mayweather absorbed 93 to Pacquiao's 115. Over the course of those 5 fights, Pacquiao had to accept 574 punches to Mayweather's 463. It is pretty clear the Floyd Mayweather, Jr has better defense.
3. Mayweather defended better against power shots. Of those power shots with bad intentions behind them, Pacquiao got punched 74 times per fight. Mayweather only 63.
4. To defend against power shots, it usually starts with defending well against the setup jabs. Mayweather was jabbed only 14% to Pacquiao's 16%. Both are very good defenders against the jabs, Mayweather is just better.
5. On fight night, Pacquiao needs to break Mayweather's superb defense to win the fight. Mayweather will be well-covered like the Great Wall of China and Pacquiao needs to constantly look for an opening and find a way somehow to wear down this defensive wall. Pacquiao needs to penetrate this defense regularly and often. That's not going to be easy to do against Mayweather.

Against Cotto, Mosley, Dela Hoya, Hatton and Marquez, we have shown that Manny Pacquiao has superior offense and Floyd Mayweather has superior defense.

However, much of those fights were about 3 or more years ago. Those are very old statistics already especially because Manny and Floyd are now in the late stages of their careers. They are ageing quite fast.

The five fights against common opponents are great fights to be introduced to how great Pacquiao and Mayweather are. They also told us much about the fighters' styles and strengths. We are only getting started.

Next time, we will do the same things we did about Pacquiao and Mayweather's five common opponents and apply them to their last 3 fights. These fights will tell us how their styles have somewhat changed and how fast or slow they have declined and aged. We will see how Floyd becomes a bit more offensive and how Manny transformed into a more balanced fighter in terms of his offense and defense.

Who is Mayweather and Why is He Favored Over Pacquiao

We continue our marathon coverage of the Pacquiao-Mayweather mega fight.
This is Entry No.003. ;)

A super fight cannot stand with one super fighter alone. There must be equally superb fighters going at each other, otherwise we would call it an "exhibition". Manny Pacquiao is a superb fighter, we know that already. Who is Floyd Mayweather, then?

• 47 fights. 47 wins. (Pac has 64 fights, 57 wins, 5 losses and 2 draws)
• 5 weight-division world champion spanning from 130 to 154 pounds. (Pac has 8, 112 to 154)
• 4 lineal weight championship. (Pac likewise has 4)
• At 2.4 million buys, holds the most number of pay-per-views sold with Oscar Dela Hoya.
• At $20 million, holds the most lucrative live gate tickets sold with Saul Alvarez.
• Mayweather is the highest paid athlete, in any sports, today.
• #1 pound-for-pound best boxer in the world today. (Pac is #3)

It's no surprise he is also called 'Money' Mayweather. He will collect at least $120 Million dollars in 36 minutes of action against Pacquiao. 120 could easily go north of $200 Million depending on the number of pay-per-view buys, which is estimated to break the record of Dela Hoya - Mayweather.

It is head-scratching to imagine the huge amounts to be earned by these combatants. Just head-scratchingly ridiculous, and amazing.

We could talk of their moneys all we want and gain nothing at all. Or we could talk about their styles of fighting and at least have an idea of how the fight turns out come May 2. I think we go the route of the more productive discussion even though the difference could be closer to negligible.

So how does Floyd Mayweather, Jr actually went 47-0?

Take a look at Floyd's punch statistics against five common opponents with Manny Pacquiao.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr
Opponents	Defense			Offense
	Jabs	Power Shots	Total	Jabs	Power Shots	Total
Miguel Cotto	30 / 177	75 / 329	105 / 506	51 / 305	128 / 382	179 / 687
	16%	22%	20%	16%	33%	26%
Shane Mosley	46 / 283	46 / 169	92 / 452	85 / 210	123 / 267	208 / 477
	16%	27%	20%	40%	46%	43%
Oscar Dela Hoya	40 / 246	51 / 164	82 / 341	69 / 240	138 / 241	207 / 481
	16%	24%	20%	28%	57%	39%
Ricky Hatton	11 / 63	52 / 301	63 / 372	8 / 22	100 / 257	129 / 329
	17%	17%	16%	40%	38%	39%
Juan Manuel Marquez	21 / 288	48 / 295	69 / 583	185 / 316	105 / 177	290 / 493
	7%	16%	11%	58%	59%	58%
TOTAL	148 / 1057	303 / 1435	451 / 2500	419 / 1143	594 / 1324	1013 / 2467
	14%	21%	18%	36%	44%	41%
AVERAGE	29.6 / 211.4	60.6 / 287	90.2 / 500	83.8 / 228.6	118.8 / 264.8	202.6 / 493.4
	14%	21%	18%	36%	44%	41%

What do we see?

• Floyd is very accurate. 4 of every 10 of his punches connects. Even his jabs which are range finders, setup punches and get-away-from-me punches connects 36% of the time.
• Floyd is a master of defense. Only a miserable 18% of his opponents punches are able to hit their marks. That is less than 1 of every 5 punches thrown.
• I see a boxer well versed in the basics of boxing that has perfected his craft. He is able to utilize the jabs to disrupt his opponents and setup his offensive assault. Marquez was outclassed in a fight where Floyd Mayweather connected 58% of his jabs, 185 of 316. 185 connected jabs in a single fight is well over the roof and it was a huge part of why Mayweather outclassed Marquez. Dominantly, Floyd did not allow Marquez to connect on his jabs evading 93% of them. Just  21 of 288 jabs, 7%, from Marquez landed.
  
• Floyd throws below 500 punches per fight. Efficiency is the name of his game.
  
• Floyd lands less than 120 power shots per fight. That is 10 per 3-minute round. Just about 3 per minute! For perspective, Manny lands twice power shots as Floyd at 20 per round.
• Floyd's philosophy is effective and efficient boxing with minimum risks. It is much more of a cerebral fight for him using the brains inside his head to hit without getting hit in return.

In conclusion, Floyd is much of accuracy and defense whereas Manny is about high volume offense. Floyd depends a lot on jabs to outbox his opponents (419 of his 1013 punches were jabs, 41%). Manny depends on power shots to outfight and defeat his (781 of 951 punches were power shots, 82%). Where Floyd is looking to outbox his way to victory, Manny is out to significantly damage and destroy his opponent.


Next time, we will put their statistics head-to-head, side-by-side and compare them.

1. Who has the advantage?
2. How does their individual performances stack up to their recent fights and victories
3. Are Manny and Floyd in decline? They're not getting any younger after all.
4. Have their approaches, styles and philosophies change over the last few years?

Join me again next time. :)

Pacquiao Mayweather Marathon Coverage - Entry No.002

We continue our marathon coverage of the Pacquiao Mayweather mega fight.

Take a look at Manny Pacquiao's punch statistics against five common opponents with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. {Excuse the color coding I used. There is still some logic and grouping behind it though.}

Manny Pacquiao
Opponents	Defense			Offense
	Jabs	Power Shots	Total	Jabs	Power Shots	Total
Miguel Cotto	79 / 297	93 / 300	172 / 597	60 / 220	276 / 560	336 / 780
	26%	31%	28%	27%	49%	43%
Shane Mosley	44 / 250	22 / 80	66 / 330	47 / 374	177 / 353	224 / 727
	17%	27%	20%	12%	50%	30%
Oscar Dela Hoya	32 / 238	51 / 164	83 / 402	29 / 252	195 / 333	224 / 585
	13%	31%	20%	11%	58%	38%
Ricky Hatton	2 / 22	16 / 56	18 / 78	8 / 22	65 / 105	73 / 127
	9%	28%	23%	36%	61%	57%
Juan Manuel Marquez	11 / 96	41 / 150	52 / 246	26 / 108	68 / 148	94 / 256
	11%	27%	21%	24%	45%	36%
TOTAL	168 / 903	223 / 750	391 / 1653	170 / 976	781 / 1499	951 / 2475
	18%	29%	23%	17%	52%	38%
AVERAGE	33.6 / 180.6	44.6 / 150	78.2 / 330.6	34 / 195.2	156.2 / 299.8	190.2 / 495
	18%	29%	23%	17%	52%	38%

What do we see here?

The Defense columns tells us how Manny Pacquiao defends against punches thrown at him. How many jabs and power shots were thrown and how many were landed on him.

The Offense columns on the other hand tells us how Manny attacks his opponents. How many punches he throws and connects.

Jabs are the weakest punches in boxing. They are used to set up the more powerful shots like straights, hooks and upper cuts. Throwing power punches without the jabs are easier to defend because your opponent usually looks at how you will attack him. When you throw a jab first, your opponent is forced to defend against it, and then your next shot is harder to be seen and blocked.

Power Shots are the straights, hooks and upper cuts usually thrown by a boxer's stronger hand. Manny has a stronger left hand (Southpaw) while Floyd has a stronger right (Orthodox). You will usually hear the 1-2 combination in boxing, more so if you have trained in a boxing gym. It refers to the jab-straight combination you throw with your weak hand followed by a strong hand's straight punch.

Ok, we are ready to digest the data on the table now. Observe the following:

1. Manny does not connect much on his jabs. On average, only 34 of 195 jabs he threw connected.
   
2. Manny throws and connects a lot on his power shots. 156 of 300 power shots detonated on his opponents on average.
   
3. Manny allowed 34 jabs and 45 power shots to land on him on average. Is that good enough?
4. The answer to #3 depends on how Manny lands on his opponents. See #1 and #2 to answer #3. There is an overwhelming discrepancy in power shots connected by Manny, 156, to power shots he absorbed, only 45. That's 111 more power shots and it's too unfair against his opponents.
5. Dela Hoya, Hatton and Marquez fights did not go the maximum scheduled 12 rounds. Dela Hoya and Hatton were knocked out in 8 and 2 rounds respectively. Marquez knocked out Pacquiao in 6 rounds. The total punches we see on the table for the Hatton and Marquez fights are too few compared to the other fights that went the full 12 rounds. This is important to note especially if we are to compare Pacquiao's statistics to Mayweather's.
6. Pacquiao's defense is very good. He allowed to connect only 45 of 150 power shots thrown against him on average. These numbers are too small compared to his offense of 156 power shots connected on 300 punches thrown.
7. Manny is not very accurate. While he connects on 59% of his power shots, he only lands 17% of his jabs which pulled his total connect average to only 38%. He makes up for this inaccuracy with volume. Manny throws a lot more punches compared to his opponents.

I hope you and I learned a few things here. Jabs, Power Shots, Defense, Accuracy and shortened fights because of knock outs. We will compare Manny Pacquiao's statistics to Floyd Mayweather and see Manny's strengths and weaknesses against the unbeaten American fighter. Doing that we can objectively try to answer the following:

1. Who is more accurate?
2. Who defends better?
3. Who connects more power shots?
4. Who is hit less with power shots thrown at him?
5. Does Manny stand a chance? In what way?
6. Does Mayweather possess a weakness that Manny can capitalize on?

Pacquiao Mayweather Marathon Coverage - Entry No.001

I am a huge boxing fan of Manny Pacquiao. {I said boxing fan because Manny is almost all-in-1 these days and no I am not a fan of his playing in the PBA, acting and singing skills just to name a few.} With what Manny is about to accomplish if he beats Floyd Mayweather, I consider myself truly blessed to have a chance to watch his humble and exciting beginnings turn into legendary heights.

If, a very big but possible if, Manny ever beats Mayweather, Manny becomes a boxing legend. Simple as that. Right now, Manny is a hall of fame type of boxer. He most probably belongs to the Top 50 of all time greatest boxers with what he has accomplished from 112 to 154 pounds, from Chatchai Sasakul, Lehlo Ledwaba, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar Dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley and to Timothy Bradley.

Manny is the only 8-division world champion boxer in history. His championships span from

1. 112 - Flyweight (against Sasakul),
2. 122 - Super Bantamweight (against Ledwaba),
3. 126 - Featherweight (against Barrera),
4. 130 - Super Featherweight (against Marquez),
5. 135 - Lightweight (against David Diaz),
6. 140 - Super Lightweight (against Hatton),
7. 147 - Welterweight (first against Cotto, second time against Bradley) and
8. 154 - Super Welterweight (against Margarito).

It is difficult to explain, but Manny is also a 4-division lineal world champion. He has been the best-of-the-best in the 112, 126, 130 and 140 pound divisions. In this regard, he is equal with Mayweather who is also a 4-division lineal world champion. For whatever it means, Manny is not the best in 122, 135, 147 and 154 divisions although he won championships in those weight categories {Did I say it is difficult to explain?}. With the Mayweather fight at 147-pound limit, Manny has a chance to become a lineal champion in five different divisions. He stands alone in the history of boxing if he achieves that. The only boxer to be the best-of-the best in five weight divisions.

Championship or not, a win over Floyd Mayweather puts Pacquiao over the top of this generation's boxers and inches him closer to boxing immortality with the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Muhammad Ali, Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Robinson.

And so I repeat, I consider myself truly blessed to have a chance to watch his humble and exciting beginnings turn into legendary heights. All of us Filipinos who watched the little-framed tiny 108-poundish Manny's Blow by Blow days where he often knocks out opponents with his devastating left straight did not expect nor ever imagined that this boxing dynamo, a one-handed trigger-happy bandit will one day be where he is now --- one fight and one win away from legendary boxing fame and status. How unexplainably electrifyingly exciting is that?

And so I am doing this Pacquiao Mayweather Marathon Coverage, eight weeks away from the actual fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. Weekly, even daily, let us devote a few minutes of our time discussing, analyzing, imagining and enjoying these days leading up to the fight.

I have already started my study of Mayweather's boxing videos against Marcos Maidana (first and second fights), Saul Alvarez, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar Dela Hoya and Robert Guerrero. I have also tabulated via Excel file, the punch statistics of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather's last three fights as well as their fights against 5 common opponents (Cotto, Mosley, Dela Hoya, Hatton and Marquez). Surprisingly, here are a few details I found which I shall blog about in a later post:

• Floyd Mayweather is considered, by a wide margin, the better defensive fighter compared to Pacquiao and also the best defensive fighter of the last 20 years. However, Manny Pacquiao has evaded an average of 26 more punches compared to Floyd Mayweather based on their last 3 fights, Mayweather was hit by an average of 155.3 times per fight. Manny Pacquiao only allowed 129 punches to be connected by his opponents on average from his latest fights against Brandon Rios, Timothy Bradley and Chris Algieri. I don't know about you, but defense to me in boxing means not being hit by your opponent. If Mayweather is hit 155 times and Pacquiao only 129 times, then who is better in defense?
  
• Floyd Mayweather is also considered the much more accurate puncher as compared to Pacquiao. Floyd only punches a total of around 400 punches per fight as compared to Pacquiao's 600-700ish average. Manny misses a lot and Mayweather is often on target, right? No! With their 5 common opponents in Cotto, Mosley, Dela Hoya, Hatton and Marquez, Manny Pacquiao throws much more punches than Mayweather while also connecting on a better percentage. This is too good to be true for a Pacquiao fan and a nightmarish scenario for Floyd's legion of supporters and the statistics back this up. Pacquiao is more accurate than Floyd in those five fights against common opponents.
  
• I do not want to give away all of my findings here, so please do read my next posts. {Hehehe.}
  

These are exciting days folks. Let us brace ourselves {Kapit!} once again as the Typhoon from the Pacific heads towards the desert city of Las Vegas to try and break Mayweather's pristine, undefeated and unblemished 47-0 boxing fight record.


P.S. My best Pacquiao-Mayweather articles read so far:

1. Coach Freddie Roach's Analysis of Manny and Floyd: http://www.wsj.com/articles/what-manny-pacquiaos-camp-is-afraid-of-1425401308
2. A Primer and Great Analysis of Manny and Floyd's Boxing Styles: http://www.mightyfighter.com/manny-pacquiao-vs-floyd-mayweather-jr-analysis/

Re-learning A Few Lessons On Long Distance Running

I found a very helpful article regarding long distance running written by Matt Frazier, a marathoner and an ultra-marathoner.

It is entitled "A Beginner's Guide to Long Distance Running".

To summarize Matt's main points:

• Run slower during long distance runs. You will run longer and develop your endurance.
• Run with shorter strides to minimize stress on your legs and feet and help avoid unwanted injuries.
• Use variety. Running with the same pace and intensity is boring. Have fast running days to improve speed and slow running days to build endurance.
• Incorporate speed work. This is more like the previous bullet point above. Only written just for emphasis! :p Who does not want to run faster and stronger right? Almost everyone. Question is, who is doing the necessary sacrifice, pain and discipline to do speed works?
• Nutrition. Eat right before, during and after the run. Do not forget to hydrate especially during hot weather.
• Be consistent in your improvements. A thousand miles starts with a single step. Actually, single but continuous steps. Be patient, be consistent and be determined to be consistent. It will pay off eventually.
• Happy running. What is the point of all your runs if you ain't happy? Besides, you won't last long doing something you ain't happy doing.

Personally, I love every point Matt made on his article. I may be stubborn enough not to follow everything he said, especially regarding nutrition, but being reminded of the basics is what I loved best. I loved running. The basic points flashes back the old memories of triumphs and pains. 

And that's why I am here again.

To fall in love with running. All over again. ;)

Feb's Longest

I am pleased to have finished 15+ kilometers on the last day of February. It is my longest distance ran that month and also of this young year of 2015. Yehey!

Key statistics:
Distance according to phone GPS: 15.19 kilometers
Duration: 1 hour and 41 minutes (1:41:17)
Average Pace: 6:40 min/km

Route:
I ran a 7-km loop twice. It stretches from Brgy. Kaong, Silang, Cavite to Brgy. Tibig and back to Brgy. Kaong. From our house, I will jog about 500 meters to my starting loop. 500m + (7km x 2loops) + 500m = 15 kilometers. Lots of trees, grasses and grazing cattle along the paved route.

Future Plans:
It was not a fast run at all. It wasn't too slow either. It was a satisfying long run based on my current weight and endurance. I would have ran under 1:15:00 at my peak running years and also, I would not have finished it two or three years ago. Hehehe.

Where do I go from here? I will build on this last long run. Repeat it next weekend and then increase the distance the week after. On the next few Saturdays, I plan to run 15, 18, 18, and then 22 kilometers. Gradually, I will be able to build my endurance and hopefully lose a lot of weight.

How about you? How's your running lately?