To those who would suggest the May 2 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is several years past it’s optimum sell-by date, Pacquiao has a simple reply.
“It’ll be as good of a fight as it would’ve been five years ago. The same,” Pacquiao told the Los Angeles Times. “Both of us are still at the top.”
Indeed, Mayweather and Pacquiao occupy the No. 1 and No. 3 spots, respectively, on the latest pound-for-pound rankings posted by Ring magazine, which rate all fighters regardless of their weight class. Mayweather is 47-0 as a professional in an 18-year career, while Pacquiao has strung together three straight wins since last losing, via sixth-round knockout, to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012.
He also has two wins and a draw against Marquez, who’s seventh on the Ring list, and defeated Timothy Bradley — No. 6 on the list — last April.
Mayweather has opened as a large, albeit narrowing favorite. It’ll take a $240 wager on him to win $100 at VegasInsider.com, while a $100 bet on Pacquiao will yield a $200 profit.
Still, even though he’s won championships in seven weight classes, the Filipino has no issue with being an underdog.
“It’s a good thing to be an underdog,” Pacquiao said. “It helps me a lot. You’re more focused on training. I feel like I’m at the start again. I’ve always been an underdog, People are very wise. It’s good for them to believe in my ability.”
