Manny Pacquiao has revealed which current world champion, from a stylistic perspective, comes closest to replicating the ferocity and speed with which he once fought.
In his prime, the Filipino icon was known largely for his razor-sharp footwork and blistering combinations, fighting almost like a ninja with his in-and-out movement.
Perhaps his most formidable display came against Ricky Hatton in 2009, when Pacquiao landed a crushing left hook to halt proceedings in the second round.
He would then, of course, go on to become an eight-division world champion, claiming an astonishing feat that may never be replicated.
But while Pacquiao, in that sense, is unlike any other fighter in the history of this sport, the 47-year-old has nonetheless identified similarities between his style and that of Naoya Inoue.
Like a prime ‘Pac Man’, the undisputed super-bantamweight king typically controls fights with his educated feet, rarely allowing his opponent to gain even a shred of momentum.
And this particular advantage, it seems, was inspired by Pacquiao, who has told Inside the Ring that Inoue is the closest current fighter to replicating his style.
“I like Inoue; I like the way he fights. Oh yeah [Inoue is the closest to me right now]. I can say closest to me, because when he started I went to Japan and he asked me about the proper punches, techniques, [and] things like that.
“I told him that the most important [attribute] in boxing is footwork. When you have [good] footwork, you can do a lot of things.”
Another similarity shared by Pacquiao and Inoue is their devastating power, which the latter has utilised to craft a 32-0 (27 KOs) record and become a four-division world champion.
In his next outing, on May 2, ‘The Monster’ will attempt to retain his four major belts against Junto Nakatani, who represents arguably his toughest opponent as a professional.