Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao: What must Pac-Man do to get his hand raised?

Can Manny Pacquiao inflict Floyd Mayweather's first defeat? The Panel debate his tactics.

Carl Froch

Provided Manny is confident about his strength and is fit enough to go 12 rounds at pace, he needs to be rough and tough to deal with Mayweather. He needs to be careful, obviously, and needs to make sure he doesn't get caught with any counter punches but if he is backing Mayweather up and making him work, that has to be the best way to go about this.

Don't forget Mayweather isn't young any more and has dropped his pace. He can be uncomfortable when he's under the cosh, so Pacquiao has to put him on his back foot, put pressure on, and it has to be done at speed. And the most important thing is that he has to sustain that.

Johnny Nelson

If I was Pacquiao, I would be concentrating on speed. The speed and tempo of the fight will decide the winner.

Don’t let Floyd control the tempo, otherwise he will try and make you work at his pace. He’s got to be in and out, keep Floyd moving, guessing. Make Floyd spend more time on the defensive than the offensive.

Don’t let him lean back on the ropes, make him use his feet. If this man leans on the ropes, he’s happy and comfortable there. Control the pace, but make sure the pace is your pace. 

Glenn McCrory

Like Marcos Maidana did, I would try to rough Mayweather up. Pacquiao is a lot slicker than Maidana, who hit Floyd with shots that we don’t normally see.

Mayweather is older at 38 and, all of a sudden, you can get old overnight. Pacquiao’s one chance is to meet fire with fire and I think we’re going to have a really good fight.

Jim Watt

Thinking fighters want time, they want to dictate time. You have to deny them the chance to dictate the pace, so Pacquiao has to deny him that. He has to outwork Mayweather, which is his strength.

He needs constant pressure and to never stop throwing punches, which we know he can do.

Thinking fighters want time, they want to dictate time. You have to deny them the chance to dictate the pace, so Pacquiao has to deny him that

Jamie Moore

Pacquiao should come in from angles, use feints to draw that right hand that Floyd likes to throw, then come in with bunches. But you have to be unbelievably fit to keep up a high tempo.

Southpaws give Mayweather a tough time, particularly Jose Luis Castillo who worked the body and applied pressure. Pacquiao is a mixture of things that Floyd struggles with – he fights in phases, throwing two or three punches in combinations, and he’s a southpaw.

Book Mayweather v Pacquiao, Sky Sports Box Office, May 2, via your phone or online now. If you want to record the event, book via your Sky remote from April 25. skysports.com/maypac.