The longstanding score between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will finally be settled on May 2, with the two iconic fighters set to square off under the bright lights of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Excitement ahead of the bout is reaching hectic heights, with the lucrative sums involved, the clamour for tickets and the quality of the two fighters all coalescing to whip up anticipation. As such, there is huge pressure on both men to deliver on this unprecedented hype, but having their hand raised aloft at the end of 12 rounds will be the utmost priority.
There are some intriguing bouts to whet the appetite ahead of this big showdown too. Here’s a look at the fight card in full as things stand and a closer examination of how the main event will pan out.
Date: Saturday, May 2
Event Start Time: 3 p.m. (Local), 6 p.m. (ET) 11 p.m. (BST)
Anticipated Main Event Start Time: 8 p.m. (Local), 11 p.m. (ET), 4 a.m. (BST, May 3)
PPV Info: Sky Box Office (UK), HBO and Showtime (U.S.)
While this bout will lay a perennial rivalry to rest, those expecting a high-octane slugfest are going to be very disappointed. Indeed, if anything, the early rounds of this fight will be very cagey and exceptionally tense given what’s at stake.
Mayweather will have no issues with an arduous early tempo. Throughout his career the American has flourished when his opponent begins to slow down, picking off lazy punches and counterattacking with the ruthlessness you’d expect from a man who has won all 47 of his professional bouts. Indeed, of the two, it’s definitely going to be Pacquiao who is most likely to force the issue.
Floyd has picked up on that in the build-up though, insisting his opponent can become a little ragged at times, per Peter Gilbert of Sky Sports:
He's a very, very reckless fighter. In the (Juan Manuel) Marquez fight (where Pacquiao was knocked out in the sixth round) he was fighting very reckless.
My career would have probably not lasted this long if I was that reckless.
If Pacquiao does stray from controlled aggression to reckless abandon, Mayweather will meticulously dismantle him. But with 57 wins under his belt, Pacquiao is a man who is experienced enough to pay the requisite respect to his opponent, and while it may not be in keeping with his patented ferocity, a slow start will suit him in that respect.
But as we can see, via ESPN, as the fight goes on, expect Pacquiao to up the ante:
Another factor that will prevent this one from being a proper slobber-knocker is the age of the two men. Had the fight happened five years ago, we would have been treated to a much more dynamic affair, but because both Mayweather and Pacquiao are fast approaching the twilight of their careers, expect each to try to keep something in reserve for the later rounds.
Neither man will come out swinging from the hip.
Nonetheless, Bob Canobbio of Compubox told Bleacher Report that the statistics point toward an entertaining fight:
Mayweather has made his career out of being an unashamed spoiler, though. His defensive acumen is rightly revered, but the shoulder rolls and clinching rarely make for an aesthetic spectacle. However, the American has yet to face anyone with an index of qualities quite like his upcoming opponent.
If ""Pac-Man" boxes with a shrewd combination of intelligence and intensity, he can pick up rounds aplenty against Floyd. If the fight does become bogged down early on, the Filipino must exert patience, before imposing his superior work rate later on to take the fight away from Mayweather and cement his status among boxing’s immortals.
