Mayweather vs. Pacquiao preview: How the fighters fared against five common foes

There are many different ways to look at Saturday night’s Mayweather-Pacquiao mega-fight showdown, but one fairly unique thing about this matchup is that the two fighters have faced a handful of the same top opponents between 2007 and today. That means we’ve got some ability to see how they fared against the same fighters, which is often not the case for modern boxing.

That said, the fights were all different. Just because Floyd and Manny fought the same person doesn’t mean they fought the same version of that person. So let’s take a look at five big name fighters that the two have both faced in recent years, and get a sense of how they did in those fights.

In 2007, Mayweather faced boxing’s biggest draw, Oscar De La Hoya, in a fight that shattered records for gate in Nevada and pay-per-view sales and revenue. Aided by the first ever “HBO 24/7” buildup to the fight, Mayweather established himself not just as one of the finest boxers in the sport, but as someone who could be a superstar, creating his “Money Mayweather” character, and letting the world see more of who he was on a truly larger scale.

It was also Mayweather’s first fight in the 154-pound division, where he was a very small man. Floyd weighed in at 150 to maintain his speed and ability to use the ring to his advantage, a wise move against the bigger, bulkier De La Hoya, who had fought at 154 since 2001.

Before the bout, Oscar replaced his normal trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., with Freddie Roach. Mayweather Sr. wasn’t comfortable training someone to fight his son, and De La Hoya was understanding, hiring another world class trainer. The partnership worked pretty well, too. De La Hoya was able to get a lot done against the slippery Mayweather in the first half of the fight, owing to a consistent jab that disrupted Floyd’s timing. But in the second half of the bout, Mayweather adjusted, and De La Hoya’s jab was taken away from him, or abandoned, depending on how you view that.

Whatever it was, De La Hoya’s jab wasn’t there in the second half of the fight, and without it, Mayweather was able to use his speed and accuracy to pick Oscar apart. The 34-year-old De La Hoya also tired down the stretch of the fight. But the fight was close, and Mayweather’s split decision win (116-112, 115-113, 113-115) reflected that. Whether or not De La Hoya had an argument mostly depended on how much of the first half of the fight you thought he’d won. With Mayweather’s win over the established top draw in the sport, a star was born.

After a rematch with Mayweather fell apart the following year, Oscar signed a fight with Manny Pacquiao, who had just fought for the first time as a lightweight. De La Hoya had decided to come down to 147 pounds to fight Floyd again, which would have been his first fight as a welterweight since beating the late Arturo Gatti in March 2001. It was a bold idea for a fighter at 35 to move down in weight for the first time in seven years, but the money was certainly there. A tune-up fight tested the waters for Oscar in May 2008, when he fought Steve Forbes at a 150-pound catchweight and looked OK physically.

When Mayweather bailed and Pacquiao stepped in, the 147-pound limit was still in place. Pacquiao, like Floyd, had came in light for the fight, weighing in at 142 pounds and hoping to not sacrifice the advantages he had on paper -- namely, his speed. Oscar weighed in at a gaunt looking 145 pounds, and reports were that he had badly overtrained for the fight, worried about making the 147-pound limit.

On the night of the fight, De La Hoya came to the ring still looking in bad shape. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, said he saw needle marks on Oscar, indicating he had been rehydrated via IV, and too late for it to be effective. Though some believe this is an excuse to take credit away from Pacquiao, it was Roach who said it, and the fact that Oscar gained only two pounds overnight, weighing in at 147 on the HBO unofficial scales, is evidence that De La Hoya was simply not in shape. Also compelling evidence: simply looking at him at the weigh-in and on fight night.

Once the action was underway, De La Hoya had nothing. Pacquiao darted in and out, lacing him with left hands and, as HBO’s Jim Lampley put it, “gradually rearranging De La Hoya’s beautiful face.” The fight was never remotely competitive, and after eight rounds of Pacquiao frankly embarrassing De La Hoya, Oscar and trainer Nacho Beristain pulled the plug. Oscar retired from the fight and later from the sport. Once again, a star was born.

Advantage: Mayweather. He beat a healthier De La Hoya. If that sounds too much like an excuse, it might be you looking for an excuse as to why Pacquiao’s win was better. Yes, it was a more thorough beating, and it deserves a lot of credit, but as Roach said after the fight, “They did it to themselves.” Pacquiao isn’t to blame, but Oscar and his team are.

Seven months after beating De La Hoya, Mayweather faced Ricky “Hitman” Hatton, an undefeated junior welterweight and one of the most popular fighters in the world. A rugged mauler who liked an inside fight and working to the body, Hatton had beaten future Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu in 2005 to stake his claim as the true champion at 140 pounds.

Hatton had tested the waters at 147 once before, beating Luis Collazo in a disputed decision in May 2006. After that fight, if it’s any indication of how his performance as a welterweight was viewed, Hatton returned to 140 for wins over Juan Urango and a faded Jose Luis Castillo.

But the Mayweather bout was just too good to pass up. It was huge money, a chance for Hatton to fight in Las Vegas, and a chance to beat the man recognized as the best fighter in the world. In front of an insanely lively crowd in Las Vegas, populated largely by Brits who flew over to support their man, Mayweather got through an early charge by a revved-up Hatton to dominate the fight, scoring a highlight reel 10th round TKO when he hit the “Hitman” with a check hook that sent Hatton tumbling head-first into the turnbuckle pads.

A year and a half later in 2009, Pacquiao faced Hatton after beating De La Hoya in late 2008, the same 1-2 punch that Mayweather used to spring to superstardom. Pacquiao, however, fought Hatton at 140 pounds, where Ricky was the reigning champion of the division and had never lost a fight.

What was expected to be a war of wills turned into a one-way assault, as Pacquiao dropped Hatton twice in the opening round, then leveled him with a sonic boom left hand, knocking Hatton out with just one second remaining in the third round.

Advantage: Pacquiao. Yes, Mayweather beat Hatton first, but Pacquiao did it at Hatton’s preferred weight, and did it in truly devastating fashion. Manny only fought the one time at 140 pounds in his career, and it might be said that he never looked quite as ferociously powerful as he did against Hatton.

When the 2010 talks for Mayweather-Pacquiao fell apart, Mayweather signed up to face Shane Mosley, who had lost a January 2010 date with Andre Berto. Mosley was a highly respected veteran and considered one of the best welterweights in the world, though he was at an advanced age when he met Mayweather.

Still, there’s no denying how “Sugar” Shane got there. After a loss to Miguel Cotto in late 2007 and a sluggish 2008 win over Ricardo Mayorga, Mosley was signed up to face Antonio Margarito in January 2009. Promoter Lou DiBella, who had no dog in the fight, famously remarked before the match was signed that if Mosley were indeed to face Margarito, they’d have to bring a pine box for Shane on fight night.

On an infamous night in Los Angeles, Margarito and his team were suspected of tampering with his hand wraps prior to the bout, which was caught by Mosley’s trainer, Naazim Richardson. The fight went on, but Margarito was simply not himself, as Mosley pummeled him over nine rounds before the referee had to step in and stop the carnage.

Mayweather-Mosley was one of those fights that people thought should have happened years before, but it just never did come together. Mayweather was the heavy favorite, but Mosley rocked “Money” in the second round, cracking Floyd with a brutal right hand that sent the MGM Grand patrons springing to their feet, and sent Mayweather’s legs dipping toward the canvas. Floyd held on, though, staying on his feet and surviving Mosley’s attempt to finish, proving that not only could he take a mean shot from a very good puncher, but he knew how to endure when in trouble.

After that second round, it was the Floyd Mayweather show. By the middle rounds, Mosley looked completely lost, befuddled by Floyd’s offensive accuracy and defensive genius, unable to pull the trigger and find openings for another shot. Mosley had a chance in round two, but when it passed, Mayweather was as dominant as he’d ever been.

In 2011, Bob Arum took Pacquiao to Showtime in a move that shocked a lot of people in the boxing world, and signed him up for a fight with Mosley. Nobody particularly wanted the fight -- Mosley had looked terrible in an ugly 12-round draw with Sergio Mora four months after his loss to Mayweather, and looked for all the world like his last stand had come against Margarito, or maybe in the second round against Floyd.

Arum’s move to send Pacquiao to Showtime was purely political, and it forced a lot of gears to move at HBO, where Pacquiao would return after the lone fight with Mosley. This was also a fight so bad that after CBS Sports and Showtime went all-out in putting together a major league presentation, host James Brown of NFL Today fame all but apologized for his presence at the fight. Pacquiao won decisively, and Mosley looked downright meek by the end of it.

Advantage: Mayweather. Maybe Floyd didn’t face the absolute best Shane Mosley (he did not), but the Shane Mosley he beat was a hell of a lot better than the Mosley that Pacquiao beat a year later.

Unlike our first three comparisons, Pacquiao got to Cotto first, in November 2009, after beating De La Hoya and Hatton. Cotto had lost his undefeated record to Margarito in 2007, a fight that later became a lot more suspect due to the aforementioned wraps situation in 2009. The fight looked electric for the first couple of rounds, until Pacquiao dropped Cotto in the third, and did so again in the fourth.

From that point, Pacquiao tore Cotto up, as his speed, power, and movement were simply too much for the Puerto Rican star, who began to shrink the more punishment he took, as he had against Margarito the year prior. Early in the 12th round, with Cotto doing all he could to stay away from Pacquiao, referee Kenny Bayless stepped in and put a merciful stoppage to the fight.

Cotto rebounded from that loss, however, including a rematch win over Margarito in late 2011, and in May 2012, he was signed to face Mayweather in one of the biggest fights in recent years. Fighting at 154 pounds, where Cotto had gone after the loss to Manny, Miguel looked strong and fit on fight night, and he gave Mayweather quite a fight.

Through the entire 12 rounds, Cotto was able to do some good work against Mayweather, and was never in any real trouble in the bout. Mayweather got the win, which was both deserved and one of the hardest-earned of his career. Even if the scores looked lopsided (9-3, 9-3, and 10-2 in rounds for Mayweather), Cotto was competitive and made Floyd work for the win. It’s also worth noting that after that fight, Mayweather switched head trainers from his uncle Roger, who had been with him for years, back to his father, the more defensive-minded Floyd Sr.

Advantage: Mayweather. This one is arguable, but for me, Cotto was in better shape mentally and physically in the fight with Floyd. For one thing, he didn’t have to make a catchweight. Pacquiao had negotiated a 145-pound max, making Miguel lose an extra two pounds more than normal. While that may not have been quite the huge deal some make out, it has to be acknowledged that Cotto moved up to 154 after that fight, too. And the biggest thing is that Cotto had frankly trained himself for the Pacquiao fight, as his friend Joe Santiago was ostensibly his trainer. Santiago was not and is not a boxing trainer. Pedro Diaz, who trained Cotto for Mayweather, is a boxing trainer. The difference was obvious in every aspect. Floyd beat the better Cotto, even though it was an older Cotto.

This one is the trickiest to figure. Pacquiao, of course, has fought Marquez four times, going 2-1-1 against his great rival. Manny and Marquez went to a disputed draw in 2004, and then Pacquiao won disputed decisions in 2008 and 2011. Marquez knocked Pacquiao out in 2012.

When we say “disputed,” though, we don’t mean wrong. There were no “robberies” in those fights. Both men had arguments in each of the first three. You will find no two boxers more evenly matched, whose styles so perfectly mesh for both great fights and superior competition, than when you watch Manny Pacquiao fight Juan Manuel Marquez. There is a savage beauty to the way the two fight one another, and they never look quite that way against any other opponent.

Mayweather beat Marquez in 2009. When Floyd fought Marquez, it was the Mexican star moving up from 135 pounds to what was supposed to be a catchweight of 142 pounds. Mayweather blew off the catchweight, weighing in at 146. And for as much as Floyd has said over the years that it was a 147-pound fight, he paid Marquez penalty money for every pound he was over 142. There’s a reason that Marquez and his team so intently stared at the scale while Mayweather weighed in.

When that fight happened -- and Mayweather totally dominated Marquez -- it wasn’t given a lot of credit. It has aged well over the years, because Marquez has proven capable of fighting well above 135 or 140, in his latter two fights with Pacquiao, and in fights with Tim Bradley and Mike Alvarado.

But nothing is really that simple, either. Marquez employed controversial strength and conditioning coach Angel “Memo” Heredia for his 2011 and 2012 fights with Pacquiao, and Heredia was able to have Marquez looking leaner and more muscular than he did against Mayweather. He was better conditioned and better built at the weight in those fights. Against Mayweather, he looked a little sluggish carrying more weight than normal.

Now, that’s not to say that Floyd’s win over Marquez means nothing. It certainly does. Marquez is a great fighter, a Hall of Fame caliber guy, and with Floyd and Manny, arguably one of the three best pound-for-pound of this era. Styles make fights, and Mayweather’s style was simply impenetrable for Marquez. What worked for JMM against more aggressive opponents (like Pacquiao) simply was not there against Floyd.

So, who gets the nod here?

Advantage: Pacquiao. There’s really no question in my mind, but certainly you could fashion an argument that Floyd’s single dominant win is more impressive. I don’t see it that way. Manny fought Marquez at 126, 130, a 143 catch, and 147. Every fight was dead even, even the one that Marquez won by knockout. If that was their only fight together, sure, Mayweather trumps Manny here. But it’s not. The two wins and the draw (which should have been a close Pacquiao win had one judge not made an error on his own scoring) mean a lot, even if they were all debatable. Mayweather’s single win over Marquez looks better now than it did in 2009, but that fight was heavily criticized for a reason.

Still, that’s 3-2 overall for Mayweather. But as we just noted, the old boxing cliche of styles make fights is flat-out true. None of these fighters that Pacquiao faced fight like Floyd Mayweather. And none of ones that Mayweather faced fight like Manny Pacquiao. This is a unique challenge for both men, and while the comparisons of past opponents is fun, it doesn’t mean everything. It might not mean anything.

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