Reason Why Pacquiao Has No KO Since 2009
Pacquiao Has No KO – Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum has explained why the eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao just ‘can’t stop opponents’ via knockout since 2009.
In a report by ABS-CBN, Arum said that this is because Pacquiao has been fighting bigger and even more skillful fighters since his journey in the welterweight division in 2009.
“We haven’t seen him knocking people out like he did so spectacularly at one period of his career. [Although] he is scoring a lot of knockdowns. He had six knockdowns against [Chris] Algieri [in 2014] and he had Bradley on the deck twice in his last fight,” Arum said as quoted in the report.
The report added that fighters would always find a way not to get knocked out and it added that this is what Pacquiao has been facing.
Arum said that Pacquiao is still hitting hard and it’s just that opponents are more cautious.
“It’s not that he’s not hitting hard. He is hitting hard, but opponents fighting him are more cautious,” he said.
Arum added that it’s also because of the opponent who was not willing to open up more.
“The ability to knock out a guy isn’t a one-way street. It’s also the opponent. If the opponent is looking to survive and not firing as many shots as he could, then it’s a lot more difficult to do. It’s not impossible, but it’s a hell of a lot harder when the opponent isn’t willing to open up,” Arum said.
Meanwhile, Pacquaio, who is now a senator in the Philippines, is preparing for his comeback fight on November 5. Pacquiao already stated his retirement last April after his fight with American boxer, Timothy Bradley.
Now, Pacquiao will face a younger and taller opponent by the name of Jesse Vargas, who is now the WBO Welterweight champion.