Pacquiao’s Perfect Strategy

There have been a lot of things happening for Manny Pacquiao and they have all been good. Whoever is advising him these days has put him back on the path to be a significant name in the business. For boxing fans, it was tough seeing Pacquiao fighting all around the world like he was a past-his-prime lounge fighter.

It all starts with a couple of business transactions. First, it seems like Pacquiao’s battle with the Internal Revenue Service is finally going to be settled. It’s part of the reason why he hasn’t been fighting in the United States. Anyone who has dealt with the Internal Revenue Service will tell you it’s harder than getting Floyd Mayweather and Oscar Dela Hoya to sit down and play nice.

The other is the report that Pacquiao has signed with Al Haymon, the Grand Poobah of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC). By signing with Haymon, the potential of multiple big money fights are on the table. PBC has, arguably, the deepest stable of fighters among the major promotion companies. It’s an offer that Manny couldn’t turn down in this stage of his career.

The path to big paydays start with Adrien Broner. The talkative Broner is a store brand version of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and should get the attention of the casual boxing fan. Not only should it do a good number, it’s the perfect fight. Pacquiao has a chance to get a good pay day over a fighter that people know and respect.

From a stylistic point of view, Pacquiao couldn’t ask for more. Broner isn’t a high punch rate fighter, especially early in a fight. Unlike his fight against Mayweather, Pacquiao will be faced with a fighter who moves but doesn’t move effectively. What’s underrated by Mayweather critics is how he uses movement to score and control the pace of the fight. That’s far from the nonsense cry of “he’s running”. Broner tries to do this except his movement doesn’t set up his punches at a rate that would concern Pacquiao.

Broner also isn’t the counter-puncher Mayweather is. In Pacquiao’s fight against Mayweather, he was often in the pocket but was hesitant to unleash like he had against so many of his previous opponents. He bordered on looking afraid of Mayweather’s strategically placed counter-punches or, at the very least, he was over-trained by Freddie Roach. He won’t have to worry about this in a match-up with Broner.

So what better fight to lead up to Pacquiao-Mayweather 2? Before everyone screams no one will pay for a second fight, think again. If Pacquiao defeats Broner in impressive fashion, the brinks truck will back up for a second fight with the best fighter of this era. Will it do the numbers the first fight did? Of course not but it isn’t unrealistic to expect a number slightly below Canelo-GGG.

A second fight with Mayweather would be easier to make this time around because both fighters are associated with Al Haymon. It will eliminate a lot of the nonsense that was present leading up to the first fight. Frankly, that was a turnoff. The first fight had way too many side stories from Pacquiao creating his own arrival time to Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. yapping like they were the show to Arum and Dela Hoya ciphering every penny they could get.

But first things first, Pacquiao will have to cease the opportunity and defeat Broner. Then he needs to come after Mayweather Jr. So maybe all of the globetrotting he’s done the last two years fighting “B” rate fighters was worth it. Worth the chance to be back in the high life again.