I keep expecting that any day now I could check the news and see the headlines that boxing fans have been hoping to see since December 2009 before the first attempt to put the mega-fight together failed.
“It’s On! Pacquiao vs. Mayweather set for November 13th!”
Or maybe; “Pacquiao and Mayweather Set to Battle for Pound-For-Pound” Supremacy!”
Recently, there has been a lot of positive chatter that indicates that is nearly a done deal. 8CN recently reported that a source revealed that the fighters have agreed to the terms of the contract. According to another of 8CN’s sources, the only obstacle that remains is Pacquiao’s defamation lawsuit against Mayweather. Considering the massive sum of money involved, most are optimistic that the fight will push through somehow.
Just the thought of such a matchup is enough to make the heart of any boxing fan speed up a little bit. It’s such an intriguing fight that I decided to contact several boxing experts to get their opinions and predictions on how the fight might play out.
I called Boxing Examiner, Michael Marley to get his thoughts on the mega-fight.
MM: Are you sure we have a fight?
LS: No, not yet.
MM: My prediction right now is that Floyd is either going to sign or not sign the contract, but I think he’s going to sign it. At the end of the day, don’t they have to – once in a while – do what HBO wants? You know, HBO is like the water company. If you want to have water you have to pay the bill once in a while.
You know, the only prediction I’d make is that they’re all going to get richer. I really believe very deeply that Pacquiao can win. There are a lot of things that have to happen for him to win. But they’re all going to make more money than Donald Trump ever dreamed of. As far as analyzing the fight, I’ll put it to you this way Lorne, at those prices nobody loses.
I then spoke to Granville Ampong. He is the former lead writer for Philboxing.com and currently a columnist for The Manila-US Times, the Philippine Media, Filipino Celebrity Headlines Examiner and a Featured Sports Contributor for Associated Content-Yahoo.
“Definitely, I’d like to see Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. exchanging leathers in the ring of madness. But, I don’t think it’s going to happen this year,” Ampong said. “The signs are clear. Both camps lack boldness in the negotiations, which is worse than however outspoken they were in the first round before they aborted March 13 early this year. It looks like both camps have “aspirated” the gag order and that it has numbed their respective senses. If I were proven wrong and if it so happens on the purported November 13 this year, then…all ye believers rejoice. Then let me predict the intricacy and the outcome of the fight: Mayweather, Jr. by unanimous decision.
2006 ESPN boxer of the year, Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry (27-6-2, 15 KOs) believes that Pacquiao’s aggressiveness will work in Mayweather’s favor.
“Well, I think it’ll be an easy fight for Floyd because it’s the perfect fight. I think Floyd will box him and Pacquiao will be doing his own thing,” Cherry said. “He’ll be jumping in and trying to put the pressure on Floyd. Floyd will just pick him apart and just wait. Floyd will probably knock him out in the late rounds.”
Trainer and former boxer Stacy Goodson is confident in a Pacquiao win.
?Pacman is trained by Freddie Roach. Freddie doesn’t put him in fights he cant win and Freddie will put him in with anybody. I believe he can beat anybody now, and so does Freddie.?
8CN’s own Kenneth Ragpala sees Pacquiao winning by knockout.
I see Mayweather’s defense giving Pacquiao trouble. But in the same way, Pacquiao’s offense will be something Mayweather has not encountered before. And since Mayweather doesn’t watch videos of his opponents, this will give Pacquiao an edge during training camp, especially with Freddie Roach designing the perfect strategy to beat Mayweather.
Early rounds will belong to Mayweather. He’ll glide and slide. But sooner or later, Pacquiao will catch him with something strong and if he can stun Mayweather like Mosley did, I believe Pacquiao will have the upper hand. Unlike Mosley, Pacquiao does not run out of gas. Pacquiao’s offense will simply overwhelm Mayweather if he can’t make the proper adjustments.
If Mayweather can figure Pacquiao out like he’s done with most of his opponents, then it will be a very long night for both guys. However, even with Mayweather’s rate of adjustment, I just don’t see how he can make those changes in the ring while getting peppered all the time. I predict Pacquiao knocking out Mayweather in round 9.
Publicist and Boxinginlasvegas.com writer Amy Green predicts a long fight and a Mayweather victory.
Pacquiao certainly has the speed and skill but Floyd has the added edge of ring intelligence and composure. This will be a distance fight but as it goes on, Floyd will gain the upper hand as Pacquiao’s composure lessens. Floyd has the capacity to make him look wild and desperate and when he gets him to that point is when Floyd will win, beating him first mentally, then capitalizing on Pacquiao’s mistakes.
Award-winning journalist and FanHouse editior and boxing writer Lem Satterfield favors Mayweather by decision.
?I will say that Floyd Mayweather has the edge. His accuracy up the middle will be the difference. It was a telltale sign to me that even though Joshua Clottey was dominated by Manny Pacquiao, he was able to get to him on only a few occasions and still cause damage. Floyd will eat him up if given that opportunity. Floyd Mayweather can cut him, and, as we know from the first Erik Morales fight, Pacquiao does not react well to blood. Also, Floyd is a boxer, and Pacquiao has had trouble with boxers. Floyd’s power is also under-rated. And, contrary to some belief, Floyd does have a chin. Floyd wins probably by decision.?
Freelance boxing writer and author, Mark ?Scoop? Malinowski is still skeptical of Mayweather agreeing to the fight, but gave his prediction of the outcome if he does indeed fight Pacquiao.
?This fight must be made. This event is vitally important to the future of the sport and for the next generation of great fighters who will all prosper from this fight just like so many boxers benefited from the Ali era and from the Leonard/Duran/Hearns/Hagler era.
But I still doubt if Mayweather, who says he calls the shots, will allow himself to be forced into fighting Pacquiao against his will. He doesn’t want the fight and never has wanted the fight, for obvious reasons. And whenever a fighter shows reluctance, hesitation and self doubt about a certain fight, that fighter never wins (for example: Bowe with Lewis, both Holyfield and Tyson with Lewis, Jones with Tarver, Oscar with Hopkins, Burns with Jack Johnson, Byrd with Wladimir Klitschko). If the powers that be are able to force/lure Floyd to fight Pacquiao in November, I believe he will be knocked out – and it will be a brutal knockout. There is an old Biblical quotation which sums up this fight best: “The humble shall be exalted, and the exalted shall be humbled.”
Former lightweight world champion Nate Campbell (33-6-1, 25 KOs) says that the outcome is anybody’s guess.
?It’s going to be a good fight. I’m thinking Mayweather is a much better boxer. He’s superb in contrast to Pacquiao. Pacquiao makes a lot of mistakes. He can’t make the same mistakes with Mayweather as he’s made with other guys. But Mayweather can’t get hit by Pacquiao like he got hit by Shane. So I mean, it’s one of those kinds of fights where anything could happen. I’m not picking either guy. If I was a betting man, I would leave this fight alone. Mayweather could easily outbox him or Pacquiao could easily knock Mayweather’s head clean off. It’s supposed to be that kind of fight. It’s that kind of fight where you kind of look and scratch your head and say ‘You know what? Anything could happen.’ It’s a beautiful thing. Before I was a boxer I was a boxing fan. I’m still a boxing fan and I just want to see the fight.?
I’ll also go on record and stick my neck out with a prediction.
Floyd Mayweather is a phenomenal boxer. Hitting and not getting hit is what he is known for. I don’t see him fighting Pacquiao as aggressively as he fought Shane Mosley. I think he’ll go back to his familiar hit and run tactics. Mayweather will be the most intelligent fighter that Pacquiao will have ever faced and he is too intelligent to fight Pacquiao’s fight. Defense will be very important against Pacquiao’s non-stop, aggressive and busy style. Pacquiao will get hit a lot due to Mayweather’s ability to anticipate and time punches. He’ll catch Pacquiao a lot as he’s coming in. That said, I don’t think that Mayweather can avoid everything that Pacquiao throws due to the sheer volume of punches that he’ll have to contend with. I believe that Pacquiao will eventually land something that will hurt Mayweather, and if he gets him in trouble, he’ll finish him. I have no idea what round. It could happen any time, but I see Mayweather’s first loss coming by knockout at the hands of Manny Pacquiao.
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