Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao: Have the Pac-Man's defeats made him stronger?

Manny Pacquiao has overcome five defeats on his path to a megafight with Floyd Mayweather. The Panel debate whether these setbacks have made him stronger.

Johnny Nelson

I think Manny’s defeats are a sign of his character. If you are at the highest of the high, you are used to success. When you fail, it’s how you come back from failure and he has come back ten-fold.

He’s thought: ‘I’ve made this mistake, but I’m going to learn from it.’ Mayweather, on the other hand, can you imagine how he would be if he lost? He lives off his zero defeats, his unbeaten record and the fact that there’s no blueprint to beat him.

Mayweather doesn’t know how to lose. In this case, ignorance isn’t bliss. If he loses, can Floyd handle it? Is his character strong enough to be able to swallow humble pie, take the criticism that people now have to give, and move on and still succeed?

Pacquiao has done that. He’s been flat on his face from being at the highest of the high. Manny Pacquiao’s defeats made him stronger because he has nothing to lose.

Glenn McCrory

"I’m not reading too much into the recent defeats. It was at a time when he was being messed about. He was not getting Mayweather and was going over old ground."

I’m not reading too much into the recent defeats, simply because it was at a time when he was being messed about. He was not getting the Mayweather fight and was going over old ground.

His last defeat was against his bogeyman, Juan Manuel Marquez, and I just think he wasn’t focused. He was spending too much time on politics, he was half-hearted and the writing was on the wall.

This is a career-defining fight, the biggest fight of their lives. Everything goes out of the window including past records and what they do in the future - it’s all about this fight. Neither man can afford to lose.

Jim Watt

Defeats don’t make you stronger but it does mean you have the character to come back. Pacquiao’s defeat to Juan Manuel Marquez was a horrendous knockout so it’s impressive that he’s come back from that.

It proves he’s tough enough for this business. Pacquiao can’t change his style, he’s 36-years-old and what he’s been doing usually works.

Jamie Moore

If you know what it’s like to lose, it makes you stronger, because if you can come back then you return as a better fighter. It also makes you more determined.

Mayweather is such a strong character who refuses to think about losing but this is a business to him, and if that’s the case, you can’t push yourself through a rough fight by thinking about money. I’m not talking about a few moments here and there but prolonged periods where Pacquiao is on top.

Carl Froch

I have a feeling this might be the best Pacquiao we'll see. Whenever you lose, you get back into that gym, you work a little harder, the grit and determination goes up a level and although that Juan Manuel Marquez knockout was terrible, he looks to be back.

He beat Timothy Bradley and I have to say, I was impressed with him last time out against Chris Algieri. He looked sharp, he looked strong and he looked as good as I've seen for a while. He will be fit and confident and any psycholigical edge will come from Mayweather, who keeps going on about the fact that he's not been beaten. I think he was, against Jose Luis Castillo and he also had the wake-up call we all get when we're beaten.

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