FLOYD MAYWEATHER
“He’s [Manny Pacquiao] is a hell of a fighter. I take my hat off to him. Now I see why he’s one of the guys that are at the pinnacle of the sport of boxing.
“I knew he was going to push it and win some rounds. He had some moments in the fight, but I kept him on the outside, I was a smart fighter. I wasn’t getting hit with a lot of shots until I sat in the pocket, that’s when he would land a lot of shots.
What an anti- climax. Like your poor marquee fights of the past that didn’t quite live up to the hype (De La Hoya v Trinidad), Mayweather v Pacquiao and the pro-Manny house in Vegas left very disappointed tonight (or this morning here in the UK) when we witnessed a good guy vs bad guy fight where the better boxer – not the better human being – won out.
In truth, there was no way the so called “Fight of The Century” between Floyd Mayweather Junior and Manny Pacquiao was ever going to live up to the huge hype the welterweight showdown enjoyed. And last night inside a packed but ultimately deflated MGM Grand, the fight came absolutely nowhere near close to delivering in the action stakes.
Mayweather, way too fast, clever, defensively skilled and also so much the bigger man physically, won, really, with some ease; in “second gear,” as super-middleweight king Carl Froch put it. Pac-Man, nowhere near the explosive, relentless dynamo he once was, had fleeting moments of success but they were far too few to make the fight just that, a fight.
This isn’t an article about “the” fight, in fact I will confess to not having watched “the” fight yet at all. Where I live it will be bright outside shortly after Manny and Floyd enter the ring and whilst there are still fights every other month that I will stay up all night for, this isn’t one. Why? Well allow me to explain: there are few things on which I ever agree with Dan Rafael of ESPN but a few years ago following another breakdown in negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao he commented that one of the things he looked forward to most in boxing was flying home from Vegas the morning after the fight. Essentially he recognised that in staging every other fight just as a build-up to what could be a historical clash, we were cheating ourselves as fight fans as well as dozens of top-level fighters out of the attention and celebration that should come with championship boxing.
Attitudes and social consensus surrounding “Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: The Fight of the Century” are mixed
By Paul “Paparazzi“ Jones |Photo © Steve Lopez/ESB and Chris Farina/Top Rank | Illustration – Paul “Paparazzi” Jones
It’s a forgone conclusion that tonight’s welterweight clash between Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. (47-0, 26 KOs) and Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) will be the highest-grossing fight in boxing history. Mayweather also remains the betting favorite among many Las Vegas oddsmakers and sportsbooks. For example, Sportsbook’s current line is Mayweather -200, Pacquiao +170 and, according to the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, Mayweather’s implied winning percentage hoovers around 65%. Public opinion varies concerning the winner of tonight’s tilt, however.
The much anticipated, long overdue match-up between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao has featured multiple narratives during the course of its build-up, and has been explored from virtually every conceivable angle. But one recurring theme that stands out more than most is the idea that this is the fight that truly cements the legacy of two fighters. In the eyes of many observers, the victor will have established himself as not only the best fighter of his generation, but will have ascended to the pantheon of greatness occupied by only a few select individuals. On the other hand a defeat, depending on its nature, could harm the other fighter’s legacy beyond any hope of repair.
Today’s the day! Greater than 5 years in the making, hundreds of thousands of articles dedicated to this one topic during the length of that time, and millions of social media comments posted to critique each one of them. At long last, the day of reckoning is finally upon us! With only a few hours before the bell sounds, we take a look at keys to victory, a few critical elements which will inevitably tilt the scales one way or the other, and an official prediction:
In any fight, there are only two outcomes; it can end via stoppage or it can end having gone the full course and require the judges’ decision.
Yet within this, there is so much that can happen. The ebb-and-flow of the contest can change based on a single power punch, stamina, the ability to gauge and more, all of which usually make predicting a definitive ending as hard as attaining one.
We are only hours away from an event that will call upon the beliefs of all. The sheer magnitude of this occasion is greater than any other, with revenue set to north of $400M. There are only few who would dare deny its significance beyond boxing’s borders. Even the intensity of the weigh in offered opportunity for the champions to display their standing to a paying audience. There has been no need for perpetual slander the demand has prevailed against all obstacles to this battle.
A man of strong opinion, markets himself as the best ever. Polarising the public even his own fans into great disagreement. His detractors do not dislike him, they hate him. There is no neutrality when it comes to Floyd “Money” Mayweather. His lifestyle, success and self-promotion have bred a contingent of admirers and critics. Attention has been diverted from his exploits in the ring to denunciations outside of the ring. He is no angel, nor is he in the running for a Nobel Peace Prize but he is human. There are moments which have cast dark clouds on his reputation but have never soiled his ability and achievements in the ring.