LAS VEGAS ? Judgment day beckons for two great fighters seeking greater glory to be the greatest boxer of their era.
After a furious exchange of verbal blows that commenced long before their megabuck showdown was sealed, the time has finally come for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to let their fists do the talking as they ?Battle for Greatness? on Saturday night (Sunday Philippine time) here at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in the highest grossing boxing event of all time.
Billed as ?Battle for Greatness?, Pacquiao will wager his WBO welterweight title against Mayweather?s WBC and WBA 147-pound belts in a unification bout that is just one of the many sidelights of the biggest, grandest and richest fight card in history.
More than the $1 million emerald belt and the windfall of cash that goes along with, the two most accomplished fighters of their time and future Hall of Famers will go all-out for the win to further cement their legacy in the pantheon of boxing?s all-time greats.
Talks regarding the megafight first came about in 2009, only to collapse later on because of the many demands by Mayweather, including the Olympic-style drug testing that was completely thumbed down by Team Pacquiao at first.
In the early stage of the rigorous negotiations, Mayweather even accused Pacquiao, already an eight-division world champion, of using performance-enhancing drugs. That forced the Pacman to file a defamation suit against the undefeated American champion at a US federal court. Freeman ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch:
The two parties would later agree to an out-of-court settlement, with the Mayweathers making it clear that they never intend to claim that Pacquiao has used or is using any performance-enhancing drugs, nor are they aware of any evidence that Pacquiao has used performance-enhancing drugs.
The road was really long and hard towards the dream match. It was only after a chance meeting by the two ring legends during an NBA match between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks in Miami last January that the planned superfight got a big boost.
After swapping phone numbers that capped a brief chat during halftime, Mayweather even went to the hotel suite of Pacquiao where they had a productive exchange of ideas on how to make the fight happen. The rest, they say, is history.
?This is for the fans. They?ve waited for so long and they deserve to see this fight happen,? said Pacquiao, who will be wearing the most expensive shorts in the world valued at $2.2 million (P99 million) courtesy of at least six of his corporate sponsors.
?I dedicate this fight to my Filipino countrymen. This is for them,? added the fighting congressman representing the province of Sarangani.
During the official weigh-in attended by a record-breaking crowd of 11,500, Pacquiao looked very calm and relaxed. He even took a groupie with his entourage before making his way to the center stage.
While Mayweather was grim-faced, Pacquiao was smiling all over. Even during the mandatory staredown for both fighters, Pacquiao look at Mayweather with a grin while saying ?thank you? to the undefeated American champ.
When asked why he thanked Mayweather, Pacquiao answered, ?For making the fight happen.?
?The fans deserve to have a good fight tomorrow night, even if you are a fan of Pacquiao or a fan of Mayweather,? said Pacquiao, who came in at 145 pounds. Mayweather scaled in a pound heavier.
On the eve of the big day, Mayweather remains low-key. ?I?m ready to fight. I?d like to thank all the fans for coming over to support myself and to Manny,? said Mayweather, who remains a 2-1 favorite against Pacquiao. ?I never wanted to win a fight so bad in my life, but we treat this one as just another fight.?
The match took six years to happen. And it?s all worth the wait, especially for the promoters who are now gearing up for a $400 million event that is considered a lock to obliterate all boxing records.
The live gate sales alone is expected to fetch $75 million, three times higher than previous $20 million mark set by Mayweather himself when he fought Canelo Alvarez two years ago also at the MGM Grand.
The prize money is also staggering. Pacquiao is guaranteed $100 million, while Mayweather is assured of $200 million, a career high for both boxers.
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum gamely admitted that they would not have reached such impressive numbers had the bout been made when it was first laid on the negotiating table.
?We wouldn?t have gotten a fraction of these numbers if we made the fight five years ago,? Arum said, ?it turned out that we?re doing the fight at the right time, I guess, not that we?re geniuses for waiting this long.?
With all the trash-talking and stinging verbal tirades already backstage, Pacquiao and Mayweather will now take center stage with so much at stake in the ?Fight of the Century?. It?s a truly exciting matchup between an explosive southpaw against a highly defensive ring craftsman that is so hard to predict.
No brownouts
Meanwhile, the Visayan Electric Co. assured the public that there are no planned or scheduled interruptions within its franchise area today.
However, VECO said their crews are on standby in case of emergencies like fallen tree branches, entangled kites or even birds and other animals coming in contact with their wires and poles.
In terms of supply, Basti Lacson, chief operation officer of VECO, said that they feel confident about power supply being sufficient since it is a weekend and a long one at that.
?Weekends normally mean lower overall demand. This means we can afford, if ever, to see a power plant or two not deliver for some reason,? said Lacson in the same statement.
VECO asked the public that in case of emergencies, they can call its hotline at 230-8326 and post it on VECO?s Facebook and Twitter accounts. ? with Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/BRP (FREEMAN)
