Will Mayweather-Pacquiao Live Up To The Hype?
By Ralph Rimpell
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 20 Mar 2015
On May 2, 2015 Floyd ??Money? Mayweather will finally face Manny ?Pacman? Pacquiao in a boxing match that have financial experts predicting this will be the richest prize fight of all time.
Mayweather has been reportedly guaranteed a minimum of $120 million to Pacquiao?s reported $80 million minimum. This fight took over 5 years to come to fruition. Because of PED (performance enhancing drugs) testing, promotional disputes, competing networks, purse parity, egos, handpicked opponents, etc. this fight almost didn?t get signed. On fight night Mayweather will step into the ring at 38 years of age and Pacquiao will be 36 years old. Both fighters are past their primes. Boxing experts have said even though this fight is interesting, it would have been even more interesting 5 years ago when both fighters were in their prime. Even though both fighters are past their respective primes are they still competing on a world class level? Showtime and HBO have set aside their competitive differences and have agreed to co-broadcast this fight on ?Pay Per View? for a retail price of $89.99 and $99.99 on HD TV. Is this fight worth paying almost $100 bucks?
Floyd ?Money? Mayweather started his professional boxing career after winning a bronze medal for the United States in the 1996 Olympics. That?s almost twenty years ago! His professional record stands at 47-0, 26KOs. He has won numerous world titles in 5 weight classes. With the exception of one fight against a Mexican fighter named Jose Luis Castillo back in 2002, where he looked terrible and should have lost the decision. Aside from that fight, Mayweather has always found a way to win and make a case why he is the best in the sport today. He has fought a mix batch of fighters to get to this point in his career. He fought the best fighters in the world when he campaigned at lightweight and junior welterweight for the first 10 years of his career. He has avoided the best fighters at welterweight and junior middleweight until some of them eventually lost, retired, or stop calling him out (ex. Antonio Margarito, Paul Williams, and Gennady Golovkin) He has ?cherry picked? older fighters with marketable names and B fighters with fluke wins (Shane Mosley, Victor Ortiz, and Marcos Maidana) to compete against knowing he would have the advantage. When anyone complains, he has publicly stated he has earned the right to pick and choose his opponents. Regardless of how Mayweather conducts his business he is still undefeated in almost 20 years. He reportedly does not drink, use drugs, and always stays in the gym. Mayweather may be 37 going on 38, but he is a young 38. Two of last three opponents (Maidana and Guerrero) were 6 years younger than him and Canelo was 14 years younger. Mayweather may almost be 38, but physically he may have the body of a 32 year old man. Why? He hasn?t taken any abuse in the ring, stays in shape year round, and ?cherry picks? his opponents.
Manny ?Pacman? Pacquiao started boxing in the Philippines to help support his family. He turned professional at the age of 16. He has won world titles in 6 weight classes. His record stands at an impressive 57-5-2, 38KOs. He has been a professional fighter for twenty years. He has taken the chances with his career that Mayweather was not willing to. He has fought the best fighters in and around his division. He is 3-2 in his last 5 fights with one fight being a knockout loss and won fight being a controversial loss to Tim Bradley which he defeated in a rematch. He really should be 4-1. In twenty years as a fighter, Pacquiao has only been knocked out 3 times (1996, 1999, and 2012). When a fighter like Pacquiao fights the best fighters in the world, he runs the risk of getting knocked out. Lennox Lewis got knocked out a couple of times and came back to dominate. Wladmir Klitschko got knocked out or stopped in fights and has come back to dominate. There are plenty more examples. Getting knocked out may or may not play a factor in how the remainder of a fighter?s career turns out. In Pacquiao?s case it has not affected him. Pacquiao has not taken punishment in the ring. Outside of the ring Pacquiao is a Christian and a family man. Pacquiao does not indulge in the night life. He may be 36 but he too has a well preserved body. He may have the body of a 31 year old. So what?s going to happen when these two fighter finally meet to resolve the dispute of who is the best fighter ?pound for pound??
Mayweather will cautiously look to pick his shots and try to box Pacquiao in hopes of building a lead on the score cards to coast to a decision victory. Pacquiao will break thru Mayweather?s shoulder roll defense with his speed. Mayweather will find Pacquiao a hard nut to crack. What makes this bout exciting is that both men are capable of knocking one another out. The fight could go the distance in any fighter?s favor or any fighter could get KO?d by the other. Both fighters are not going leave anything to chance. They will both train like they have never trained before to put on a spectacular performance. Yes, Mayweather-Pacquiao will live up the Hype! Look for Pacquiao to TKO Mayweather in the 9th round.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ralph Rimpell.
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