How Pacquiao can beat Mayweather, according to Roy Jones

Long before Floyd Mayweather built up his legend, Roy Jones was atop the boxing world's pound-for-pound list for his preternatural skills and undefeated record.

So it comes as no surprise that Jones is picking Mayweather to beat Manny Pacquiao in their mega-fight on May 2 (May 3 PHL time) in Las Vegas.

"I think Floyd just got to be Floyd and box and be the winner that he’s been over the last 20 years or however long it’s been," Jones told HoopJab.

"If he just does that, that should be enough for him. I think he’s got to be smart and take his chances at the right time, pick his openings like he usually do, and he should be able to calculatedly deal with Manny Pacquiao and anything Manny brings."

But even though he tabs his fellow American to win, Jones doesn't discount Pacquiao's chances in the fight.

"For Manny to win, he has to use his irrational way of boxing, the way he throws all the wild punches, so many punches at a time and the barrages that he throws," said Jones.

"He has to use that to try to figure out a way to get to Floyd, get through Floyd’s defense because Floyd has an impeccable defense, but Manny has to figure a way to get through that defense. Also though, once he gets through it, can he have an effect on Floyd? Can he hurt Floyd because if he gets through [the defense] and can’t hurt Floyd then he’s still in trouble."

While other pundits feel that Mayweather has the edge if the fight goes to the scorecards, Jones feels otherwise.

"I feel like if the fight goes 12 rounds, Pacquiao has a chance of being ahead in 12 rounds, unless Floyd can hurt him early, which Floyd can do, then it won’t be a problem," said Jones.

"Floyd can be anything he wants to be because Floyd has the most tools. In a fight like this, Floyd got a better chance of knocking Pacquiao out and winning the fight, and I think Manny got a better chance of making a long fight, trying to knock Floyd out, but we don’t know for a fact that he can get to Floyd." -- JST, GMA News