At long last, the fight that many thought would never happen is finally on.
After years of endless speculation, the much-anticipated megafight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is officially signed and set for May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. This bout, which is almost surely going to go down as the richest in boxing history, will unify the two fighter’s respective welterweight titles.
But more importantly, this fight will go a long way in determining once and for all who the greatest boxer of this generation truly is.
This fight has been dissected and examined ad nauseam for many years, but let’s take one more comprehensive look at how these two all-time greats stack up ahead of their earth-shattering showdown.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao Predictions and Betting Preview
Where: MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
When: Saturday, May 2
Line: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (-300) vs. Manny Pacquiao (+210) – view all boxing lines
Betting on Floyd Mayweather Jr.
There’s no denying that between the two boxers, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the one with so much more at stake. Mayweather, who is purportedly set to hang up his gloves later this year, will be putting his perfect 47-0 professional record on the line against one of the toughest and most dangerous opponents of his glittering career.
[sc:Other240banner ]Mayweather, the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, has been every bit as dominant through the years as that undefeated record suggests. While he may not be much of a knockout artist these days (two KO/TKOs in his last 12 fights) he’s used his incredible hand speed and pinpoint accuracy to pick opponents apart. Meanwhile, his simply prodigious defensive abilities just haven’t given his opponents too many opportunities to hurt him.
However, that famed defense went missing against heavy-hitting Marcos Maidana last year. Mayweather was hit a record 221 times by Maidana, who also out-landed Money, 185-178, in power punches. Mayweather, though, still managed to win a close majority decision – 117-111, 116-112, 114-114.
Mayweather also won the rematch in September in a much more convincing unanimous decision, but those performances have shown a few chinks in the pound-for-pound king’s armor. Mayweather, now 38 years old, may have just lost some of that speed and elusiveness that made him so dominant in his prime and could make him vulnerable to Pacquiao’s own speed and power.
Nevertheless, Mayweather’s boxing brain is still sharp enough to make up for any perceived physical decline. He’s an excellent counterpuncher, something Pacquiao has struggled with in his fights against Juan Manuel Marquez. He’s also a superior in-ring strategist compared to Pacquiao which should allow him to make some key tactical adjustments and outbox the powerful Filipino.
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Betting on Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao in 2015 isn’t quite the force that he was in 2010, when initial talks of the Mayweather superfight were at their peak. Back then, Pacman was coming off terrific stoppages of Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto and dominating wins over the much bigger Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito.
The eight-division world champion has lost twice in his seven fights since – a controversial split-decision defeat to Timothy Bradley followed by a stunning knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, both in 2012.
However, Pacquiao has bounced back from those back-to-back losses with three consecutive unanimous decision wins over Brandon Rios, Bradley (in the rematch), and Chris Algieri. Pacquiao was particularly dominant in his most recent fight last year against Algieri, knocking down the much taller American six times en route to a lopsided decision, 120-102, 119-103, 119-103.
At age 36, Pacquiao has shown no signs of losing his trademark speed. And despite his last stoppage coming way back in 2009, he still possesses significant power in both hands, as evidenced by his multiple knockdowns against Algieri.
Stylistically, Pacquiao’s southpaw stance could be a tough matchup for Mayweather, who is generally perceived to have a weakness against left-handers. Pacman’s unorthodox offensive style and the awkward angles of his punches may also present Mayweather with a unique set of problems to try and solve.
Pacquiao should be buoyed by Maidana’s success against Mayweather. Pacquiao is faster and more accurate than Maidana, and if he can come out with the same aggressiveness that Maidana did in his first fight with Mayweather, it’s not hard to see Pacman outwork – or possibly hurt – Mayweather throughout the fight.
Writer’s Prediction
Mayweather (-300) weathers the early storm from Pacquiao and comes on strong late in the fight to grab a split decision win.
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