It’s not near over, and specific plots will determine if Floyd Mayweather Jr. advances his perfection to 48-0 or Manny Pacquiao alerts the Philippines to prepare for the biggest celebratory parade ever witnessed on the island country in Southeast Asia.
Freddie Roach is a Hall of Fame trainer who for years has gone over in his mind every detail, every form of strategy, every potential surprise and counteraction, every movement that could decide a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Wednesday was the official media day to promote the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao megafight Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden, and yet Mayweather’s comfortable demeanor and candid temperament haven’t wavered much since the much-anticipated bout was announced.
I disagree with the notion that there is no suspense in inevitability, that because Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao didn’t step into a ring and oppose each other years ago means all the tension and excitement from the moment has disappeared. It just made people angry and bitter, is all.
Steve Cyr has been a casino host for 28 years. He has never seen anything like Mayweather-Pacquiao. Ever.
It took this, the megafight of megafights, the one sure to shatter all sorts of financial records at the gate and on your pay-per-view screens, the supposed biggest night in the sport’s history, to confirm what we already knew: It’s not about the fans.
If the gathering at Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s Las Vegas gym Tuesday was expertly organized, and it was, the one that played out for Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif., was more controlled chaos. Neither setting, of course, lacked for pointed jabs aimed at the other side.
Tuesday seemed beyond normal for what you might expect, if you believe normal for a boxing media day is David Hasselhoff holding court for some who at least appeared interested in his opinion and Texas Tech football coach Kliff Kingsbury posing for photos inside the gym.
The most anticipated fight in forever will take place May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which gives us more than two months to dissect every angle and turn over every rock and report on everything. As a starting point, here are five questions to consider about Mayweather-Pacquiao.
