Floyd Mayweather is a phenomenal boxer. We know that. As a matter of fact, he knows that. Trust me.
?Pretty Boy? Floyd, as he?s called, is one of the most vocal and recognizable fighters in the sport. From his bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics to his most recent dismantling of Shane Mosley, he has remained a relevant if not ferociously outspoken character in the boxing world. At 41-0 (25 KO?s), his reputation for being the hardest man in the game to hit is preceded only by his brash and confident self-worth. He?s aware of his ability and he?s willing to pronounce his greatness. ?Money? Mayweather believes he is pound-for-pound the best fighter walking the planet and he may be right. There is only one factor that can bring his claim into question, the biggest little man in the world, Mr. Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather?s impressive record is a culmination of five weightclasses, including titles in four of them. Of his 41 pro fights, 19 have been for championships. ?Pacman? stands in at 51-3-2 (38 KO?s) with the distinction of being the only man to compete in and win titles in 7 different weight divisions. Some consider Pacquiao the best fighter in the world because of his willingness to fight and ability to put on excellent performances. In his homeland, he is a cultural icon and figure of high regard. He is practically worshipped. The people of the Phillipines cherish this man. Manny has what Floyd wants and it isn?t a gold belt.
The negotiations for this mega-fight have been grueling. In a situation where both fighters could easily bank $40 million for themselves, it is kind of hard to believe the bout hasn?t been signed yet. Mayweather is intent on Olympic-style drug testing, for whatever reason, his claim, to clean up the sport.
Pacquiao was initially hesitant, citing superstition. Because of this minor (but really MAJOR) disagreement both fighters scheduled other fights with many believing the chance of seeing this match-up was dead. Manny faced off with Ghanaian Joshua Clottey and put on a dazzling performance en route to a lopsided unanimous decision. Mayweather went toe-to-toe with notable and credible foe Shane Mosley in a fight that was heavily hyped. After surviving a bomb from Mosley in the 2nd, ?Pretty Boy? handily struck and moved his way to another decision victory in an increasingly and ultimately one-sided affair.
With both fighters running out of opponents and something to prove, the talks started again.
Pacquiao is ready for Mayweather. He has agreed to the blood-testing and is awaiting only a yes from Floyd. ?Money? has options. He could take the favored route and fight Pacquiao. What could he also do? Hold-off. If he decides he doesn?t want to fight for another year, he won?t. This would lead to ?Pacman? taking another fight beforehand. Regardless of the opponent(some have mentioned Pacquiao-Cotto II, why?!?), Pacquiao losing this fight would pretty much put the kabosh on our megafight. Is this what Mayweather wants?
Quite possibly. With no blemishes on his record he can pretty much do what he wants.
In the grander scheme though, this is the last obstacle Mayweather has before he gains the total respect he feels he deserves. This is it. This is the motherload.
Avoiding this fight is avoiding a greater legacy, no matter the risk.
As much as these men need to defeat each other to cement their status, boxing itself needs a fight like this to happen. The only fights that have caught any major attention lately are the ones involving these two. They are the glue holding the frame of boxings popularity together. The sport isn?t shambles by any means, we are still being treated to great fights. Problem is, these fights aren?t really making it to the public eye. A ?Pretty Boy?-?Pacman? fight brings on a wealth of marketing oppurtunities not to mention PPV buys that would soar all the way to Saturn. Broadcasting outlets around the world would cover it and the hype would build higher and beyond any of recent (maybe even distant) memory.
This is the brawl for it all, the clash of the titans. The irresistable force meets the immovable object. No matter their size, these men are larger than life. They aren?t, however, bigger than boxing. They are the locomotives carrying the train and its time they met head-to-head on the same track. All roads have led to here. Now, we sit and wait patiently for Mayweather to decide if this is a dead end or the light at the end of the tunnel.
No matter the ?money?, no matter the time and place, this is the fight that just needs to happen. For the publicity, the fame, the hype and the millions who will shell out $54.95 to watch this is what it boils down to. Mayweather needs to step up. He?s done it before, he makes us believe he thinks he can do it again. All the talking and punching has brought him face to face with the one man the world is willing to get behind.
People say when you throw at Mayweather, he isn?t there to receive it. Others say when Pacquiao throws, you don?t see it until you feel it. Can Mayweather dodge a flurry from the hands of the ?Pacman?? Well, if ?Money? doesnt dodge the fight we may find out.
