It’s been years in the making. Since 2009, boxing fans and general sports fans have been teased and taunted, year after year. All for the possibility that the dream fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao would be coming their way.
For those of you living under a rock for the past five years, let me get you up to speed. The year is 2009–there are two fighters competing in the welterweight division, clearly in a class of their own. Boxing had been waiting for its next big fight, the best fighting the best, and Mayweather and Pacquiao seemed destined to deliver.
The initial negotiations would bring both fighters into the ring in the prime of their careers. The contracts stipulated a 50/50 split for each fighter. All the necessary elements appeared in place for a record-breaking matchup to take place.
That’s when talks turned to the infamous drug testing issue. Mayweather and members of his camp had publicly expressed their suspicions of Pacquiao’s unnatural jump up into different weight classes, and demanded for this fight to undergo Olympic style drug testing.
Pacquiao, unwilling to undergo random blood and urine tests, refused the agreement and later sued Mayweather for defamation of character. The case was later settled out of court.
Fast forward some years and Mayweather now suffers hecklers, claiming the drug tests were a ploy to avoid facing his toughest challenge yet. On the other hand, Pacquiao now begins to receive double takes from fans that think he’s juicing or others who just believe he doesn’t have that killer instinct anymore.
Five years has passed without an announcement for the fight. Sure, there were talks between the fighters’ teams in the meantime. At one point, Mayweather offered Pacquiao a straight $40 million dollar cut to make the fight happen. To no one’s surprise, Pacquiao shot down the offer, citing that he wanted shares of the gate as well as PPV.
As both men continued their careers they would share various opponents along the way including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley.
While Mayweather continued his undefeated streak, he also began to see a drop in PPV sales due to the fact that fans wanted to see one fight and one fight only. Pacquiao was less fortunate, receiving two losses, one highly disputed to Timothy Bradley, the other a vicious KO to rival Juan Manuel Marquez.
So you ask yourself, why is this still the biggest fight in boxing?
There are many right answers to this question. Regardless if these guys aren’t in their primes, they still remain in a league of their own. When you think of boxing today you can only think of the two biggest draws, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
This fight doesn’t just please the boxing fans, it pleases the sports public as a whole. The sport has its epic showdowns almost every era. Think back to Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman, Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns, Sugary Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran and the list goes on and on.
Even if you were not around during those times to experience the drama, the excitement and the anticipation, now is that chance to be a part of arguably the biggest fight in boxing history.
Do you find yourself talking to your co-worker, friend, or family member about how much you hate Floyd Mayweather for his flashy antics, arrogance and showboat persona? If so, then this is the fight to watch.
Do you believe Floyd Mayweather is “The Best Ever” and fights like a surgeon inside the ring, tearing apart his opponent with laser-like precision If so, then this is the fight to watch.
Do you believe Manny Pacquiao possesses superior power, aggression and the right amount of speed to crack a code 47 other men before him have failed to accomplish? If so, then I say to you, tune in May 2.
In any case this fight will shatter any and all monetary records in boxing. Boxing no longer holds the same sway with general audiences the way it did in previous eras, and a fight like this is just what the sport needs to bring back the allure it once had.
Mayweather and Pacquiao may not be the two best fighters of all time to you or anyone else for that matter. That’s not what makes this fight the biggest in boxing. What makes it the best fight is its importance. This fight is important for both of these fighters, to boxing and most importantly to you, the fan.
On May 2 the world will watch the two best fighters of today’s era go head to head in what hopes to be a dramatic, exciting and eventful ending to the saga of Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao.
