#MAYPAC: FOR MONEY / FOR COUNTRY
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 03 May 2015
LAS VEGAS-- One guy is fighting for his country, people and God. The other for gold and money.
Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao and undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jr. clash Saturday evening (Sunday in Manila), finally, in a 12-round history in the making showdown everybody in and out of the boxing world has been waiting for nearly six years.
For the 36-year-old Pacquiao, the fight, his 64th since turning pro 20 years ago, is for his homeland, the Philippines, which he wants to have lasting peace and the Filipino people, who, have been fragmented since anyone can remember and who he wishes to be united.
As in his previous fights since he rose to fame 14 years ago, the entire archipelago of 7,107 islands, will come to a complete halt watching and waiting for their hero's coronation.
Most importantly, the only man on the planet to win 10 world championships in eight weight divisions, is dedicating this bout, hyped as the "Fight of the Century," to his Creator to whom, he believes, as emblazoned in the white t-shirts he was wearing in Friday's official weigh-in, "All Glory and Honor Belongs."
For "Money Man" Mayweather, the fight, his 47th in an unbeaten 19-year career, and being a self-proclaimed businessman, it's all about the zeroes that will be added in his hundreds of millions in bank account.
The "Greatest Boxing Show on Earth" had been stamped the official seal on Friday's official weigh-in where Pacquiao, the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt-owner, tipped the scale at an ideal 145 pounds and Mayweather, owner of the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association versions of the 147-pound division, weighing 146 pounds.
As in the press conference announcing the battle held two months ago in Los Angeles and during their meeting with media men last Wednesday, Pacquiao was a picture of a happy and confident man, while Mayweather, of an unfamiliar sad and tensed would-be protagonist.
Pacquiao was even able to murmur words of thanks to Mayweather in the face off for posterity. After the weigh-in, a television interviewer asked the Filipino what he thanked for and Pacquiao retorted,"for making this fight a reality."
Mayweather, in his turn, said he did not understand what Pacquiao was saying as his attention was focused on the coming fight. Days before weight-in held before some 11,000 supporters,the combatants chorused the epic encounter, set at the 16,800-seat MGM Grand Arena, between the two finest welterweights in he world will be for the fans to whom both promised to put an exciting performance for their enjoyment.
"I invite everyone to watch a good fight this Saturday between Mayweather and Pacquiao. It's going to be a good fight," Pacquiao, who is also the only fighter to own four lineal belts, said three days earlier Wednesday during the final press conference.
"It's time to fight," Mayweather, for his part, said. "You guys come out here to see excitement, to see a great event and I think that's what both competitors bring to the table -- excitement."
Revenue for the Mayweather-Pacquiao confrontation may reach a record $400 million, half of which (approximately $200 million) going to the WBC/WBA titleholder and more than $100 million to the WBO titlist under the 60/40 split they agreed upon.
Tickets prices are pegged at from $1,500 to as high as $7,500 generating a record live gate of $72 million. Most of he money will come from the pay-per-view telecast which will cost the viewers a whopping $99.99 for high-definition.
At stake is the bragging right to be acknowledged as the unified welterweight champion of the world and the no.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world in any division.
Both, likewise, vowed to win the fight with Pacquiao saying he's not worried at all with his opponent's advantage in size, adding he had fought and won over much taller and bigger fighters as Oscar DeLa Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto.
He and chief trainer Freddie Roach had spent two months studying the puzzle of Mayweather's reputed defensive style of fighting and both assured they found ways how to beat the hot May weather in Las Vegas.
The teacher-and-student for the past 14 years said they will reveal their answer in detail on Saturday's MGM version of the May madness.
Roach, at one time in the Wild Card training camp, said, "for all his talent and skill defensively, Maayweather is not invincible" adding his prized pupil is one guy who can succeed where 47 others before him failed -- break Mayweather's unbeaten streak.
"His clean, immaculate win-loss slate will turn 47-1 on Saturday," the 55-year-old Hall of Fame boxing guru and seven-time trainer of the year honoree of he Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) vowed.
Mayweather and his handlers, particularly his father, Floyd Sr., on the other hand, are banking on the principle that boxing is about weight, pointing out that Money May is a legitimate welterweight, while the Filipino icon is a natural junior lightweight, or a difference of two weight divisions separating them.
They also argued that Pacman suffers recurring leg cramps the past several years and, ergo, will find it difficult to cut the ring , where Mayweather is at his crafty best with lateral movements in all directions that eventually will physically and psychologically sapped the Filipino's energy.
In the end, Mayweather's camp deduced, their guy will smartly dance into a 48-0 record on the way to tying Rocky Marciano's all-time 49-0 and, perhaps, proceed to what could be an unbreakable 50-0 win-loss mark.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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