PACQUIAO VS. SOLIS: BLAZE TO GLORY!
Taken from Boxing Times: I am interested with this article as I am surfing the net. Here’s the review of the two boxers with their strengths and weaknesses in all their previous games.
WBC International super featherweight world champion Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao (43-3-2, 34 KO’s), General Santos City, Philippines. 28-years-old, 5′6 1/2", southpaw, 130 pounds. Trainer Freddie Roach, managed by Shelly Finkel.
Style: Pound for pound Pacquiao just might be the hardest hitter in the sport. He is a banger/slugger but what makes him special is his hand speed, his accuracy and his crowd appeal. Not only in the Philippines but also in the US, Pacquiao has a tremendous following because he fires wicked three, four and five punch combinations that simply detonate on impact. Because he is a southpaw his shots are coming at you from different angles and unlike most lefthanders he isn’t cute or stylish. He will come right at you firing whistling hooks and staggering left crosses from the opening bell.
Significant Bouts: This past November in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao finished off his trilogy with his arch-rival Erik Morales, by scoring a resounding victory in their third encounter. Pacquiao recorded an electrifying third round knockout over Morales to win the rubber match in their historical trifecta and possibly end the career of the future Hall of Famer. Pacquiao’s speed, quickness and power proved insurmountable and he floored the former WBC super bantamweight, featherweight and super featherweight champion in the 2nd, and then twice more in the 3rd, to score the knockout over Morales at the 2:57 mark. Pacquiao repeatedly hurt Morales with scalding right hooks to the head but it was a riveting straight left cross square on the chin that dropped the former four-time world champion for the final time. The blast buckled Morales’ knees, as he crashed backwards against the ropes coming to rest on the seat of his trunks. Despite his cornermen’s pleas to try and rise, Morales knowingly glanced at his seconds and could only shake his head in dismay, aware that his night and possibly his career might be finally over.
Pacquiao lost his first encounter to Morales on a 12 round unanimous decision back in March 2005; however, he captured the rematch when scored a 10th round TKO over the legendary Mexican champion in January of this year. The third time around it was all Pacquiao, as the Filipino repeatedly beat Morales to the punch. This past July fighting in Manila, Pacquiao hammered out an impressive 12 round unanimous decision over the durable and bloodied Oscar "Chololo" Larios. The three-time world champion Pacquiao’s gift to his fans was an appearance and a successful title defense. Larios held his own over the first half of the encounter and rocked the champion several times in the third round. However, the southpaw Pacquiao turned up the heat cutting the challenger with a whistling right hook over the left eye late in the 3rd, and then flooring Larios in the 7th and again in the final round. There was little doubt that Pacquiao had posted another victory at the final bell and that was reflected on all three judges’ scorecards. Judge Humbert Furgoni tallied 117-110, while Daniel Van de Wiele had it 118-108 and Noppharat Sricharoen scored the contest 120-106, all for the champion. Fighting in front of a jam-packed arena, where it was tough to get an extra breath because of the dense humanity; didn’t do justice to the Pacquiao popularity.
More than 7,000 movie theaters across the nation also carried the bout on closed circuit television and they were all sold-out. Many people were just as happy to venture across the Islands without a ticket in hopes of just getting a glimpse of the legendary boxer. This past January, Pacquiao won his rematch with the legendary Mexican champion Erik Morales and evened the score in their boxing trilogy. The former three-time world champion Morales simply had no answer for Pacquiao’s wicked left cross and after ten blistering rounds he ended down on his hands and knees with his head bowed in defeat. The Filipino sensation Pacquiao rallied over the second half of the fight and dropped Morales twice in the 10th, compelling referee Kenny Bayles to finally halt the rematch at the 2:33 mark. Ten months earlier, Morales had pounded out a searing 12 round unanimous decision over Pacquiao but this time around it was a different story. Fighting in front of a raucous and sold out crowd in Las Vegas, Pacquiao was simply the stronger and quicker fighter, as Morales visibly aged in front of the Nevada fight fans. Pacquiao was relentless as he nailed the Mexican hero with brutal left hands down the middle and hammering right hooks to the body. With heavy swelling around both of his eyes and a broken nose, Morales looked exhausted when Pacquiao dropped him for the first time in the 10th with a scalding left hand to the jaw. Morales was able to beat the count, however, his legs and wind had vanished. Seconds later, Pacquiao landed four more clubbing shots to the head that drove Morales into the canvas for the second and final time.
Prior to the victory over Morales in their rematch, the Filipino banger was back in action in September 2005 in Los Angeles. Pacquiao hammered out veteran journeyman Hector Velasquez finally dropping him to his knees to score a late sixth round TKO. Pacquiao left little doubt he was still the hard charging Filipino with heavy hands. Both men flurried to open the 5th, but Pacquiao simply had more steam on his shots and a four-punch sequence rattled off Velazquez’s jaw early in the round. With 1:28 remaining in the 5th, Pacquiao caught Velazquez moving forward and he ripped him yet another stunning four-shot volley punctuated by a cracking left cross square on the jaw. Moving in and out while firing whistling shots, Pacquiao began wearing Velazquez down midway through the round, as the former world champ repeatedly drilled his opponent with clean left crosses that rocketed off his skull. With 31-seconds to go in the 5th, Pacquiao caught Velazquez walking straightforward and nailed him with a scalding right hook to the jaw and the crowd responded in unison with a collective groan. Just before the bell to end the round, Pacquiao landed a leaping right hook that caught the tiring Velazquez once again flush on the chin. At the conclusion of the round Velazquez slowly returned to his corner on the backs of his heels. Pacquiao continued to grind Velazquez down to open the sixth round, as his opponent’s reflexes and ability to return fire diminished noticeably. At the 2:04 mark of the 6th, Pacquiao drilled Velazquez with two hard shots to the belly before his opponent was able to tie up the Filipino.
Seconds later, Pacquiao nailed his opponent again with two more ramrod right jabs that snapped Velazquez’s skull straight back. Pacquiao shifted his attack downstairs and hammered Velazquez with a searing right hook to the ribs followed seconds later, by a savage left cross to the belly. With Velazquez noticeably tiring, Pacquiao caught him with slashing right hook to the jaw that again rocked the Mexican boxer. With 49-seconds remaining in the round and the fans screaming, Pacquiao jolted Velazquez with a clean right hook to the jaw. The sound of the punch was audible over the noise of the crowd and again wobbled the durable but overmatched Mexican. Seconds later, Pacquiao drove Velazquez back into the corner and unloaded a brutal volley of unanswered head shots. Pacquiao landed no less than 15 searing punches before Velazquez was able to drop his shoulder and almost tackle the ex-champ to force a momentary clinch. Referee Lou Moret separated the boxers but there was no saving the staggering Velazquez from his fate. Seconds later Pacquiao drove Velazquez back into the ropes for the second time before the Mexican was able to escape. With less than 5-seconds to go in the round, Pacquiao trapped his opponent back against the ropes for the third time and unloaded five more withering shots that dropped Velazquez to his knees at the sound of the bell. The referee Moret sent Pacquiao to the neutral corner and with Velazquez’s head bowed and still in a kneeling position the veteran official began his mandatory eight-count. At the count of eight Velazquez was able to rise but with blood caked above his left eye he was in no condition to continue and Moret waved off the contest. The TKO went into the books as a victory for Pacquiao at 2:59 of the sixth round. His chief rival and protagonist Erik Morales, however, would not be so fortunate later in the evening on the same card against Raheem.
In March 2005 in his first bout with Morales, Pacquiao made the classic mistake of loading up with his punches against an opponent who was bigger, stronger and a better boxer. Morales’ size and ability neutralized Pacquiao’s impressive power output and the Filipino slugger was always just one step away and one punch away from landing the heavy lumber. Rather than bang to the body and slow down Morales, Pacquiao repeatedly tried to land head shots and ultimately it cost him the decision. It was a bitter defeat for Pacquiao and it will be interesting this time to see if he makes adjustments and shifts his attack downstairs early in the bout rather than head hunting too early. Prior to the Morales loss, Pacquiao scored a four round TKO victory over Fahsan (3K Battery) Por Thawatchai, in December 2003 in the Philippines. The bout was an IBF featherweight eliminator for the #2 ranking; 3K-Battery hit the deck four times before the fight was stopped.
Prior to that fight in May 2004, Pacquiao was involved in one of the most dramatic bouts of the year. Climbing off the deck to go the distance after being dropping three times in the first round is extraordinary. Somehow being able to salvage a draw after suffering a broken nose and swallowing enough blood to drop an ox borders on the miraculous. Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez retained his WBA and IBF featherweight belts because of guts, will; and judging from the scorecards, perhaps divine intervention in earning a 12-round draw against Pacquiao. The Philippine southpaw sensation landed repeatedly in the first round with withering straight left hands to the chin. The hard hitting challenger floored Marquez three times in the opening stanza, busting him up in the process and breaking his nose while reducing the bottom one-third of his face to ground round. Nevertheless, Marquez rallied over the course of the fight to somehow come up with a majority draw. In November 2003, Pacquiao recorded the biggest win of his career when he scored an 11th round TKO over Marcos Antonio Barrera. It was a brutal night for the fighter nicknamed the "Baby Faced Assassin." Barrera was overwhelmed and knocked down twice before eventually being halted by Pacquiao in eleven mostly one-sided rounds. One of the most feared featherweights of his generation, Barrera spent most of the evening eating leather before his cornerman Jorge Barrera climbed into the ring and mercifully ended the beating, in the non-title fight. The southpaw IBF junior featherweight king Pacquiao kept Barrera on the business end of his shots from the second round on and repeatedly scored with wicked combinations. In that memorable fight, Pacquiao was down in 1st, Barrera down in 3rd and 11th. Pacquiao first captured the WBC flyweight crown when he scored an 8th rd. TKO over Chatchai Sasakul, in 1998. Constantly battling to make weight, Pacquiao defend the belt once before he was KO’d in three rounds by Medgoen Singsurat, ten months after winning the WBC crown. In June 2001, Pacquiao won the IBF super bantamweight crown by scoring a six-round TKO over Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Pacquiao would go on to register a number of impressive victories; including Jorge Eliecer Julio (TKO 2), Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym (KO 1), and Emmanuel Lucero (TKO 3).
Strength: Pacquiao is the complete athlete if you are looking for an action fighter. He throws devastating shots with both hands and he delivers the goods with withering accuracy. Pacquiao’s best punch may be his jackhammer right hook; that’s the shot that Morales, Barrera and Marquez didn’t have an answer for when they squared off with the Filipino star. Pacquiao is at his best when he is moving and throwing wicked combinations. He excels at firing and landing a hard left to the body followed by a whistling right hook to the chin. Pacquiao can put you on the deck with either hand, or grind you down with combinations. It is sometimes overlooked in the American press but when Manny Pacquiao climbs into the ring you also get his enthusiastic and electric Filipino fan base. Those loyal fans create a hometown advantage wherever Pacquiao fights. Part of the reason that Pacquiao is so successful and so exciting is the Filipino People and it is one of the key reasons why he’s the number-one gate attraction in the sport.
Weakness: Pacquiao gets hit and part of his allure just like Arturo Gatti, is that he is constantly in high action bouts. He has been on the deck several times over the course of his career and in the past he has been vulnerable to counter right hands. When he controls the tempo of the fight Pacquiao can dictate pace and the punch output. However, as in the Marquez fight, when the action slows down and his opponent starts landing his jab Pacquiao struggles.
Jorge "Coloradito" Solis (32-0, 23 KO’s) Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. 27-years-old, 5′7", 129 pounds, trainer of record Jose Reynoso, managed by Jesus Rivero Gamboa.
Style: An aggressive boxer-puncher that likes to throw punches in bunches. Solis is a crowd-pleasing fighter who swarms his opponents and is willing to take one shot to land two or three blows. Solis doesn’t ease off the throttle and if he catches you on the ropes he will do everything in his power to end the evening early.
Significant Bouts: Granted Solis has fought south of the border down in Mexico for most of his career but as he has improved and gotten more experience the talented featherweight has fought 11 times in the United States. Solis first captured the Mexican super bantamweight belt back in October 2001, when he scored a hard fought 12 round majority decision over Ruben Estanislao. Solis defended that belt three times before moving up in weight and fighting a disappointing 12 round draw with Wilson Alcorro. Nevertheless, Solis came back three months later to capture the vacant Mexican 126-pound belt by posting a 12 round unanimous decision over Jose Luis Tula. Solis returned to post wins over Cristobal Cruz (UD 10), Orlando Antonio Soto (TKO 3), and Martin Sanchez (KO 4). However, in his next fight against the veteran Humberto Soto, there was an accidental clash of heads and Solis was sent to the sidelines and the fight was halted after three rounds and ruled, "no-contest." In his next few bouts Solis continued to look impressive and he scored victories over Hector Javier Marquez (UD 12), Nicky Bentz (TKO 5), Hector Javier Marquez (UD 10), Adalberto Borquez (TKO 3), Lizardo Moreno (UD 10), and Fernando Omar Lizarraga (TKO 5).
Strength: Solis is a straight ahead banger that likes to jump on guys and use both hands. He has an adequate left hook and an above average pummeling right cross. What Solis lacks in style, he more than makes up for with a rapid fire work rate and lots of leather.
Weakness: There is a tremendous discrepancy in the quality of opposition between these two boxers. Pacquiao has fought and defeated a number of top contenders and world champions, while Solis has made his bones against a bunch of lackluster opponents. Despite the gaudy record most of Solis’ victories have come against fighters most people have never heard of north of the border. When he defeated Moreno, he only had 8 pro fights on his resume and Lizarraga only had 12 pro bouts to his credit. Solis’ straight ahead style and lack of speed should be exploited by the faster moving and far more powerful Pacquiao.
Prediction: Solis is moving up in weight to 130-pounds after fighting most of his career as a featherweight. Four pounds might not seem like much but the combination of Pacquiao’s blistering speed & heavy hands & confidence, do not bode well for Senor Solis. They might be fighting in San Antonio and close to the Mexican border but look for the Pacquiao’s Army to show up in numbers and support their national hero. We look for Manny’s right hook and whip-like left cross to the body and the chin to end things early. Pacquiao by fifth round knockout.
