Will Mayweather vs Pacquiao happen?
For years, boxing fans have fantasied about the two best fighters of their generation going head-to-head in the greatest blockbuster main-event of all-time. The two fighters are Floyd Mayweather and Filipino Pacquiao, who hold the WBC and WBA welterweight championships (Mayweather) and the WBO welterweight championships (Pacquiao) between them. Mayweather is undefeated as a professional across five weight divisions and Pacquiao is an eight-division world champion. The pair have respect from every boxing fan and boxer at any level. Now, speculation has been spreading across the Internet faster than a six second Vine after the pair were spotted at an NBA game on Tuesday 27th January 2015, between Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat
Pacquiao's publicist Fred Sternburg said that a bout between the two had 'a way to go but is moving in a positive direction'. A bout between the two has been called for since the pair both rose to stardom around 2008. Pacquiao reportedly agreed to fight Mayweather on 13th March, 2010, which each fighter getting $25 million upfront. The fight preparation was set out like the Holy Grail of Boxing. The eight-page agreement was so detailed that it indicated which of the two fighters would step onto the scale first at the weigh-in (Pacquiao), who would walk to the ring first (Pacquiao), who would be introduced first (Mayweather) and who had first choice of the locker room (Mayweather). The fight was supposed to be held at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, a venue which has become Mayweather's home for boxing in recent years. The bout was called off because of the division in the two camps relating to drug testing. Mayweather wanted random blood testing by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which Pacquiao rejected as he didn't want to have blood removed from his body thirty days before the fight because he thought it would put him at a disadvantage for the fight (which I totally agree with). After a long and frustrating period of debate about the blood testing window, the fight was officially cancelled off on January 7th 2010.
Pacquiao has tweeted in recent months about fighting Mayweather and about 'giving boxing fans what they really want'. Mayweather has set the ball in motion after swapping numbers with Pacquiao in a surprise and unscheduled first meeting between the boxing legends. Call it what you will but it seems that both competitors have reached the point in their careers when they want to give the fans what they want. It sounds cheesy but they could have ignored each other and decided to move on to negotiate other fights. Let's not forget that Mayweather said that he wanted to fight two more times before retiring for the second time in 2015. One of those fights has been and gone, defeating Marcos Maidana on 13th September 2014. So, a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao could be the last fight in Mayweather's undefeated career and that would make the occasion thousand times more significant.
Every boxing fan will have their own opinion on two vital questions. One, will it happen? Two, if the fight does happen, who will win? For me, I think it will happen as both fighters seem like they want to fight to happen before they bow out of boxing. In terms of a winner, I think Mayweather may just edge it because of his aggression and punching power. However, it will be a highly intense and evenly matched bout between two of boxing's greats. Hopefully, the fight will happen and fans aren't left wondering who would have won the greatest fight of all-time.
Mayweather and Pacquiao exchange numbers at an NBA game, fueling speculation about a potential blockbuster final on 2nd May 2015.
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