GILAS Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin is picking Manny Pacquiao over Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their May 2 (May 3 Manila time) encounter.
“I think he is tougher. I think that his aggression and his desire to impose his style on Mayweather is what will beat Mayweather,” Baldwin said after the Gilas cadets won their final tune-up game over Blackwater before heading to Singapore for the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) Championship.
Reporters gathered around the American-New Zealander were surprised on how well Baldwin answered the question regarding the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. Asked about it later, he bared he has been a boxing fan all his life.
“I love boxing. I always love it,” said Baldwin, a Mike Tyson fan.
“I think he is the greatest,” Baldwin said, referring to Tyson. “But pound-for-pound, Manny will give him a run.”
Baldwin believes Mayweather will need to change his fighting style to fend off Pacquiao. Still, the Gilas Pilipinas coach doubts if that will work against the Filipino champion.
“Mayweather has a choice to come out and try and fight a little differently than he has been in his career and go blow for blow. But I don’t see that working with Manny. And if he tries to be the different fighter than he has been, I don’t also see it working either.
“I think Manny has the ability to knock him out in a brawl and I think Manny has the ability to accumulate points in a fight that goes the distance,” said Baldwin.
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