Two local experts in the sweet science ? retired junior welterweight ?Irish? Micky Ward and the brother of the late great ?Brockton Blockbuster,? Rocky Marciano ? think underdog Manny Pacquiao might have the edge on betting favorite Floyd Mayweather Jr. in tonight?s ?Fight of the Century.?
?I think it?s going to be very, very even, because it?s two great fighters,? Ward told Boston Herald Radio yesterday. ?They?ll have nerves, they won?t admit it, but they do have them.?
The Lowell-born Ward is a former WBU champion, whose story was retold in the Oscar-winning 2010 film ?The Fighter.? Ward was portrayed by another local boy made good, Hollywood superstar Mark Wahlberg.
?Pacquiao is an offensive fighter and Mayweather is a defensive fighter,? Ward said. ?I think Pacquiao?s strategy is to go out and try to win every round, because he wants to try to get Floyd in a slugging match. And the only way to do that is to get ahead of him. If Pacquiao gets out there in the lead, it?s going to be hard for Mayweather to catch up.?
Mayweather is within two victories of tying Marciano?s perfect 49-0 record in the ring, which hits home for Peter Marciano, the undefeated champ?s brother.
?Personally speaking, I?ve always liked the aggressor, the puncher. I?m kind of rooting for Manny Pacquiao to win,? Marciano said.
?However, Mayweather is approaching my brother?s record,? he added. ?I think if Rocky were alive today, he would be the guy that would have said, ?You know what? Records were made to be broken.? And I really wish him the best, and I hope he can do it.?
