Other than seeing the clip of Manny walking into that huge right hand in his last fight, this was my first view of the ‘Pac Man’ in the ring. I cover boxing here as a coach, using fights as talking points for fighters, not as news. I am woefully behind on boxing news.

Now I know what Floyd Money does not want to fight Manny and what all of the fuss has been about. My first impression was that Rios was a middleweight and Pacquiao a lightweight. Based on his frame, I don’t see Manny knocking out top welterweights, no less middleweights. That said he beat the piss out of the poor sport Rios, pitching a shutout on my card.

Pacquiao looks like Roberto Duran with Ali’s footwork. I have never seen a southpaw turn the corner to his right so well. He is also notable among southpaws for the variation and power in his lead right, using the jab, and landing shovels and Philly hooks. He also uses two variation of the straight left and two variations of the overhand left. Early on he used the classic old time step-up overhand, and later reached a little, lowering it almost to a straight. He lands and turns; flurries and then bounces away behind a high passive guard. Every fighter should watch this tape. It was not so much a fight, as a clinical exhibition on how to beat up a bigger man who leads with the opposite hand.

Manny has a split-mind defense, switching from pure movement to a passive high glove shell, not trying to play the finesse game with the parry and catch. My guess is Mister Money sees this as a huge and potentially embarrassing pain-in-the-ass. I do not see Manny as a threat to the Money chin, just his ego, and would expect a split decision win by Money if they met.