The night has finally arrived. The most anticipated fight of the century is making its way onto pay-per-view television. Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will fight in a boxing ring for 12 rounds in Las Vegas, to once and for all settle who the best in the sport truly is.
Boxing fans have been waiting for this fight since 2008, when Pacquiao took down the larger Oscar De La Hoya in an 8 round bout by technical knockout; a feat Mayweather struggled to accomplish in his 2007 fight, which lasted 12 grueling rounds and ended with a split decision against De La Hoya.
Pacquiao’s victory put him on the radar for the Mayweather showdown after their two-year hiatus, and the media followed by bombarding both fighters with questions about a fight against one another in the future.
Since2008, Manny has fought 10 world-title matches, while Floyd has fought 6. Manny holds a record of 57 wins, 5 losses, and 2 draws; Floyd holds a record of 47 wins and no losses. It’s marketed as the “People’s Champ” versus the “Undefeated Champion of Boxing” who has already unified two world title belts.
For the past seven years, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have gone back and forth on the idea of having a fight. Demand after demand, negotiation after negotiation, contract after contract, the two boxing legends finally agreed to terms during a Miami hotel room during a Heat basketball game.
Manny Pacquiao visited “Money” Mayweather at his suite, and the exchange of numbers and contract proposals during halftime sealed the deal. The spark from 2008 has finally lit the fire for a fight anticipated by millions across the world.
From rags to riches, both Mayweather and Pacquiao come from humble beginnings. Pacquaio from the slums of the Philippines, whereas Mayweather hales from the streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
As a child, Manny Pacquiao, born Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, lived in the slum of Kibawe in the Philippine province of Bukinon. At age 14, Manny moved to Manila to begin boxing while living on the streets (Stories have been documented of Pacquiao fishing for his own dinner every night).
Mayweather was born into a family of boxers; Money’s father and uncles are all former professional fighters. As a child, Floyd struggled with family issues, including his mother being a drug addict and having a distant father who only trained him in boxing.
Although both fighters were brought up with similarly trying pasts, they have grown to become two completely different people–two individuals with apparently different morals, as well as fighting styles.
Pacquiao, a fighter renowned for his speed, power and ferocity took the sport by storm in the lower weight classes and made his way up through the ranks. As a southpaw switch-hitter, Manny has a level of unexpectedness in every fight–his punches come from the nowhere and when they land, they land deadly. Seemingly every punch Manny throws has knockout power and it shows with his position as the number two, pound-for-pound fighter in the world, winning 38 of his 57 wins by knockout.
Mayweather is the undefeated world champion, and a fighter who dominates the boxing world with technique, precision, and skill. Mayweather’s signature “Philly Shell” has protected him from some of the world’s deadliest punches, and his style has taken all of them down.
As a fighter, Mayweather is the symbol, if not the apex, of true boxing. Floyd’s out-boxing style takes even the most aggressive and ferocious fighters to 12-round beatdowns. Even when Floyd starts off on the defence, he’s always ended up on top, dominating the later rounds and sometimes even knocking his opponent out. These attributes are what make Mayweather the number one fighter in the world, and a renowned champion.
Outside the ring, Pacquiao is known for his humble personality in many circles. “Money” Mayweather, on the other hand is known for his confidence, but mostly described as arrogance. And yet, who’s to say it isn’t well placed?
Mayweather is undefeated in multiple weight classes for a reason. Manny and Floyd have become two completely different entities like the sun and the moon or the light and darkness. A fight like this doesn’t come once in a year or even once a decade. Fights like this come once in a generation, when two fighters, who own two halves of the fans and the sport alike, come together in a ring for 12 rounds.
This is why one may hear conversation of the fight wherever they may be. Whether it’s coworkers by the water-cooler, friends at school, or anywhere else in America, the conversation and planning for tonight’s epic showdown is justified. Here’s hoping that when the bell rings after 12 rounds, the hype was justified as well.