Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are often recognised as two of the greatest fighters in the history of boxing.
After years of rumours and speculation surrounding a fight between the pair, they finally met on May 2 2015 in what was dubbed as ‘Fight of the Century’, an event that surpassed over 4 million pay-per-view buys and a gate of around $70,000,000.
Mayweather prevailed in a unanimous decision victory over his long-term rival, with the fight itself arguably not living up to its initial expectations. You could argue it was their clash of styles that made for it to be slightly underwhelming on the night.
One man who is all too familiar with both Mayweather and Pacquiao, is Oscar De La Hoya. ‘The Golden Boy’ fell short in contests with both men, when he was outpointed by Mayweather in May 2007, which was followed by a stoppage defeat to ‘Pac Man’ in December of the following year.
Given the knowledge of both men and having an understanding of their styles, ‘The Golden Boy’ made no mistake in giving Manny Pacquiao the plaudits in a recent feature with the Ring Magazine.
“I would have to say Pacquiao [was the best]. I think his determination, his conditioning, his skill, his power, speed, footwork – he’s one of the fighters I most appreciated.
Mayweather Vs Pacquiao would have been a lot different in their primes. Pacquiao would have beat Mayweather easy, absolutely.”
Both Mayweather and Pacquiao remain somewhat involved in boxing, with ‘Money’ partaking in multiple exhibition fights since his official retirement in 2017. ‘Pac-Man’ has recently fuelled rumours of a potential comeback, as he looks to re-enter the sport in 2025.
