Manny Pacquiao weighed in on a hypothetical welterweight clash between a prime Floyd Mayweather and Terence Crawford.
While Pacquiao lost a unanimous decision to Mayweather in 2015, he believes Crawford’s skills would have handed Mayweather his first professional defeat. Pacquiao threw his support behind Crawford for one defining reason: Stance versatility. While Mayweather’s “Philly Shell” defense was nearly impenetrable for orthodox fighters, Manny felt its effectiveness against an elite southpaw would be tested. That is why Pacquiao picked Crawford over Mayweather.
“I think Terence Crawford, in both primes. He has an advantage – southpaw. I saw Crawford as a southpaw, he mastered it. He knows how to maximise his advantage,” Pacquiao said
Credit: The Ring
The Match-Up
Unlike Pacquiao, who was a dedicated southpaw, Terence Crawford is perhaps the greatest “switch-hitter” in boxing history. If Crawford noticed Mayweather timing his orthodox looks, he could seamlessly transition to southpaw.
Against Errol Spence Jr., Crawford used his length and southpaw jab to completely disrupt a world-class fighter’s rhythm. Against Mayweather, this versatility would force Floyd to constantly recalibrate his lead-foot placement, potentially stripping him of his counter-punching abilities.
The counter-argument is that Floyd Mayweather excelled at mid-fight adjustments. Whenever he faced elite left-handed fighters (like Zab Judah or De La Hoya in segments), he would often abandon the shell in favor of a high guard and a more traditional “amateur style” stance to take away the straight left.
In 2006, Judah (a fast, powerful southpaw) won the early rounds against Mayweather. However, Mayweather adjusted by moving closer, putting pressure on Judah, and using a high guard to nullify the southpaw advantage.
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Who Do You Pick?
Mayweather’s ability to download data and execute a “Plan B” remains his greatest asset. Crawford is brilliant, but he often “starts slow” to read his opponents—a dangerous habit against Mayweather, who rarely gave back a lead once he established one.
The Case for Crawford: If we mean “Pretty Boy” Floyd at 135–147 lbs, Crawford’s reach (74 inches compared to Mayweather’s 72) and his finishing instinct might be the x-factor. Crawford doesn’t just outpoint people; he breaks them down.
The Case for Mayweather: Floyd’s defensive metrics are the highest in the history of Compubox. He was hit less than any other fighter in the modern era.
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