The long-awaited fight between the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather and Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao is finally pushing through on May 2, with the spectacle expected to shatter boxing revenue records.
Fans of the sport have been waiting for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight for years, as the two welterweights are considered by many as the best pound-for-pound boxers in their era.
While many are saying that both boxers are past their prime, with the mega-fight supposedly happening five years ago when both fighters were at the peak of their careers, it is no secret that Pacquiao is aiming to be the first boxer to put a blemish in Mayweather's boxing record.
"This is just like any other fight I had before," Pacquiao told reporters. "I've been in this kind of situation many times in my previous fights. It doesn't scare me. I love being the underdog."
While Pacquiao downplays what would be the biggest fight of his career, he is still surely looking for a win. What does he have to do though to end Mayweather's winning streak?
Boxing legend Lennox Lewis is picking Mayweather to win the fight, as many analysts and experts are doing. In an interview, Lewis stated that there is a great match-up in the styles of the two fighters, with Mayweather excelling in movement and side-stepping making him very difficult to hit and Pacquiao a great boxer in terms of offense and breaking his opponent down.
"It's difficult but I think Mayweather has all the advantages, that natural ability and rhythm," Lewis said, though adding that there is an uncertainty regarding the fighting style that Pacquiao will use, as he has fought with different styles when facing different opponents. This could spell trouble for Mayweather if what Pacquiao does is unexpected.
Pacquiao's trainer, the iconic Freddie Roach, thinks otherwise. He claims that Pacquiao will be able to win via knockout against Mayweather "very late in the fight," adding that "it will be a process," in an interview with ESPN.
"This will be a very difficult fight. Floyd's style will be very hard for Manny," Roach said.
Pacquiao's trainer also said that if the fight between the two boxers happened five years ago as originally planned, Mayweather may have won. However, now, Roach said that Pacquiao has more heart.
Mayweather is regarded as a brilliant defensive tactician in the boxing ring, which is the main reason why he still has no defeats after 47 matches at the age of 38 years old. However, Roach claims that Mayweather will not be able to prepare for the speed of Pacquiao despite all the film viewing that he will do.
"You really don't realize just how fast Manny is or how hard he hits until you actually get hit by him," said Roach.
Josh Katzowitz of Forbes also believes that Pacquiao will win against Mayweather, due to the hunger of Pacquiao and the beating that Mayweather has suffered in his recent matches, despite coming out victorious. Pacquiao's underdog status in the fight could also fuel the boxer's desire to pull out the win at all costs.
It will certainly be a tough assignment for Pacquiao though, despite the confidence that his trainer has that he will win against Mayweather. Only time will tell, with the mega-fight between the two future boxing hall of famers just a couple of months away.
