Back in 2007, when Oscar De La Hoya locked horns with Floyd Mayweather Jr., the big fight was often mentioned by media and fans as the fight to save boxing. I never really understood what they meant by that. Fast forward to today a day after the official announcement of what many are already calling the biggest fight in the history of the sport in Mayweather/Pacquiao. And yet once again, many are already making the reference that Floyd versus Manny will be the fight to save boxing once and for all. And guess what? Just like myself back in 2007, I still am very much clueless as to what ? the fight to save boxing ? even means. Only thing that De La Hoya/Mayweather failed in, was that the fight card should have featured solid up and coming fighters on the undercard. With all the extra drive by fans eyes on the sport, it would have been the perfect time to introduce them to the future of the sport. Then again, maybe the matchmakers felt that having the then 30 year old Mayweather in the main event would serve that purpose by launching the young boastful Mayweather into the mainstream. If so, it worked to perfection because since then, Money Mayweather has not only been the face of the sport, but has also inherited into becoming the sport?s biggest draw. But boy oh boy, the dynamics now have changed a bit as it relates to this HUGE main event fight. Both Floyd and Manny are already fully established and the finish line to both of their legendary careers is now within grasp. Which is why more so than ever now, boxing needs to capitalize on placing young future forces of the sport on the undercard on this Godzilla like fight card. And with plenty of mainstream drive by fans eyes already on alert to the new NBC-televised boxing series, the timing couldn?t be more perfect. Speaking of perfect, the perfect time for this colossal fight would have been back around 2009 or 2010, but this is still a very intriguing match-up that in many ways is happening at the very best time because of the many new players being moved around the all mighty chess board. Mayweather along with his unblemished record of 47-0 will be 38 years old in a few days, Pacquiao at 36 sits at a very impressive 57-5-2. It will be the grand boxing wizard against the speedy powerful typhoon. And at this point in both of their respective careers, both share vulnerabilities that are eye catching, and because of that, the anticipation during the fight will be higher than the anticipation of waiting all these years for this fight to finally come to fruition. So with young stars in the making waiting for their time to shine, fighters like Golovkin, Canelo, Keith Thurman, Terence Crawford, Julian J-Rock Williams, Mikey Garcia, Lomachenko, Adrien Broner, Anthony Joshua, Danny Garcia, Demetrius Andrade, and Francisco Vargas to name a few. The future of the sweet science is in great hands and as bright as ever before, so no rush or need in trying to save something that doesn?t need saving. Long live the greatest sport of all!
