As a writer, I usually wait until right before a big fight to drop a few lines regarding the underlying mechanisms that make both fighters tick. As an electrical engineer in everyday life, facts that lead to successful systems and processes must be processed immediately for the sake of expediency. The fight that most if not all boxing fans have been waiting for being made has renewed this writers enthusiasm, so I write.
First of all hats off to both fighters for making this fight especially Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather must be congratulated for silencing the verbal misinformation, meeting with Pacquiao and making sure that all of the i’s dotted and t’s crossed during negotiations enabling BOTH fighters to earn the biggest paydays of their careers.
6 years ago when this fight was first proposed the expectation was that both fighters with a 50/50 split would each earn upwards of $50M plus additional PPV monies, that was in 2009. The same fight in 2015 is much more lucrative, Mayweather is expected to earn $120M with Pacquiao getting the rest of the $200M pie. It is expected that this fight will break PPV buy records as well, maybe bringing in $500M when all is said and done.
As combat athletes both combatants have seen better days, but both fighters I believe have at least one good fight left in them, that we’ll see on May 2, 2015. For both, bragging rights and the historical significance of being recognized as the very best of his era is at stake.
For Mayweather the chance to tie Marciano’s record and maybe surpass it looms. For Pacquiao the chance to add a linear title in another weight class – a feat never done in boxing, awaits him. So on fight night this writer doesn’t expect to see the guy that was knocked out cold 3 fights ago, nor do I expect the guy in the other corner to put on his best John Ruiz imitation like he did in his last fight.
Both guys will bring their best stuff, and the BEST man will win. The superior style will win the day and whether we like or dislike the winner the history books will be written.
As a fight fan I’ve always believed that Mayweather was the best, believed that he could fight in any era and be a champion. But at times I thought he was scared to fight an opponent and that he would lose, but Floyd ALWAYS rises to the occasion of the big fight, love him or hate him. The Sunday after a BIG fight has always been good to him.
Manny Pacquiao has picked himself up, dusted himself off and marched forwards into what will be a career defining fight for him. He also could be champion in any era.
I’ve spoken very highly of both pugilists, they deserve this, but, if their was no contrast between the two fighters there’d be no interest, would there? And even though I’ve picked Mayweather to win in all of my articles, behind the scenes many times I believed he would lose, I had my doubts. For this fight no past glory or past failure gives either man advantage, this fight will be a fight of skill but foremost a fight of will.
Pacquiao says he likes being the underdog, I dispute this because Pacquiao is loved so he will never be an underdog. Floyd has money and possessions that many would point to, to say that Floyd is not the underdog. But what Floyd fights for and REALLY wants is what Pacquiao has and that’s love and admiration, and though successful materially, this is what has evaded him. So who is really the underdog?
Floyd’s haters outnumber his loyalists and he feels love and gets enjoyment by proving his critics, naysayers, and haters wrong. Floyd will LOSE only when he receives that admiration and affection he seeks, until then tieing and surpassing Rocky Marciano’s record will have to do!