KEY POINTS

  • Jose Benavidez has sparred with both Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr.
  • Benavidez suggests that Pacquiao is a more versatile puncher
  • Danny Garcia shares his thoughts on the Pacquiao vs. Spence fight

Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr.’s former sparring partner tried to break down the pair’s fighting style.

Jose Benavidez is one of the few active fighters who had the chance to spar with both Pacquiao and Spence, the colossal welterweights who will take on each other on August 21.

Ahead of the highly-anticipated match, Benavidez revealed what it was like to trade blows Pacquiao and Sepnce.

According to Benavidez, “both” Pacquiao and Spence possess tremendous power and speed.

However, the one thing that stood out in his recollection was the former’s ability to “come from all angles.”

“They both have the power, they both have the speed,” Benavidez told Elie Sechback of EsNews. “[But] It’s different because Manny [Pacquiao] come from all angles you know.”

As for the outcome of the fight, Benavidez is convinced that Pacquiao and Spence are equally matched.

Hence, it will all boil down to which champion has more power in his hands.

“They both have power it’s gonna be a good fight,” he assessed. “I feel like it’s 50/50.”

Spence is coming off an impressive 12-round victory over Danny Garcia. Like Benavidez, Garcia too predicted that Pacquiao vs. Spence is a “50/50” fight.

Pacquiao is deeply admired in the Philippines for his generosity and hauling himself out of poverty to become one of the world's greatest and wealthiest boxers
Pacquiao is deeply admired in the Philippines for his generosity and hauling himself out of poverty to become one of the world's greatest and wealthiest boxers AFP / TED ALJIBE

Based on Garcia’s analysis, the fight is unlikely to go 12 rounds with both welterweights capable of knocking each other out.

“I think he (Spence) can stop Pacquiao with a body shot, but I think Pacquiao can stop him too,” Garcia told Fight Hype. “I think it’s a 50/50 fight. I think that fight’s not going the distance. I said this before in another interview if the ‘Pac-Man’ that showed up against Keith Thurman then that’s a dangerous Pacquiao and the Spence that fought Kell Brook could stop Pacquiao.”

Garcia also took a drive down the memory lane to recount how hard Spence hit.

Interestingly, the 33-year-old admitted that “The Truth” wasn’t really a big puncher and that Pacquiao’s last opponent, Keith Thurman, hit much harder.

“Spence is not the biggest puncher, he is the strongest I ever fought physically,” he said when asked about Spence’s punching power. “Just physically try to walk you down, you feel him in front of you, but he is not the biggest puncher. He is physically strong but Thurman is a harder hitter than him. Thurman punches harder than him.”

“Thurman has more of that thump,” he added. “Spence has more of that he’ll break you down. Errol is not the biggest puncher but he is strong, he is the strongest.”

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