Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Why It Would Be the Greatest Fight of All Time

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It was hoped that Floyd Mayweather’s fight against Victor Ortiz would be little more than a stepping stone for the Pretty Boy in his quest to dethrone Manny Pacquiao as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Five days on since a controversial sucker punch won Mayweather the match, and the boxing community is still uncertain about whether a fight between the two giants of Welterweight boxing is likely to happen.

A war of words has been exchanged between the two camps, but at present, the duo has not come close to agreeing terms for a fight to happen.

I believe that if a fight was to occur between Mayweather and Pacquiao, it would be one of the greatest of all time. This slideshow will argue why…

The Hype Surrounding It Would Be Immense

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Ignore the slide’s title; the hype surrounding this potential bout is already immense.

When Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced his return to the sport in May 2009, speculation about him facing Manny Pacquiao was instantly catalysed.

The two boxers have been under intense pressure for more than two years to make the fight happen, causing much anger and frustration from the boxing community.

Don Jose Sulliman, president of the WBC, has added more fuel to the fire by saying: “I think the world wants the fight, so if there is any way I can participate in a friendly way to put aside all differences for the good of boxing and for them to accept, this would be fantastic."

The fact that a man of Sulliman’s importance is interfering to try and make this fight go ahead is the clearest illustration yet that the fight needs to happen.

The Two Fighters Genuinely Seem to Hate Each Other

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Although it is not uncommon for boxers to trash talk each other, both Mayweather and Pacquiao are guilty of showing disrespect towards their counterpart.

The two fighters genuinely do not seem to like each other.

Floyd Mayweather has continually accused Manny Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs to help him fight at different weight classes.

The most recent example of this was in the Mayweather vs. Ortiz post-fight press conference. The Pretty Boy said, "If were to go up right now to heavyweight and compete with the Klitschkos, you would say, 'Floyd Mayweather is on something.' But a man goes up from 105 to 154 and you say, 'Oh, it's all natural.' C'mon, man; wake up.”

Manny Pacquiao, meanwhile, has questioned Mayweather’s sportsmanship. “There was nothing illegal in what Floyd did, but it was unsportsmanlike.”

Placing the two fighters in the ring together will be a great way to settle their differences.

It Will Determine Who the Best Fighter of This Era Is

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Manny Pacquiao may be ranked as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but the reality is that Floyd Mayweather had the better of him before he retired in December 2007.

Although Money may have slipped out of the Top 10 due to inactivity, he is still amongst the biggest names in boxing and has the ability to reach the summit of boxing again. To do this, he needs to beat Pac Man and pretenders such as Khan and Cotto.

Whoever wins the bout will be remembered as the greatest fighter of this era because of their ability to beat the best opponents and win at titles in different weight divisions.

The Fight Will Be Unpredictable

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When Floyd Mayweather defeated Ricky Hatton, he openly admitted that he had difficulties fending off the British boxer.

Manny Pacquiao is more persistent and quicker than Hatton, which will stretch Mayweather’s defense to the extreme.

The Filipino is exceptionally quick and likes to throw punches. Mayweather, on the other hand, likes to sit back under the assumption his defence will keep him out of trouble. With Pacquiao throwing punches from all angles, fans could see Mayweather’s defence rendered useless.

Furthermore, the Pretty Boy has continually struggled against pace in the past. Indeed, in his recent fight against Ortiz, it was the pace of his opponent that forced him onto the ropes prior to the infamous sucker punch incident.

Both fighters are excellent counter punchers, but when it comes to technique, Mayweather is the more complete fighter. He has a savvy game, and it is difficult to land a punch to his face.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, is a brawler, and this form of kamikaze fighting has not been trained out of him by Freddy Roach. All it would take is a well-executed jab from Mayweather to down Pac Man.

It is these differences that will make the fight as unpredictable as it is enthralling.

It Will Be the Biggest PPV Event of All Time

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Boxing is a sport that is in need of a huge box-office clash. The sport has lost ground to the UFC in recent seasons, but big-name boxers like Pacquiao and Mayweather still have the ability to pull in a big crowd.

Pretty Boy’s clash against Oscar De La Hoya earned $120 million from pay-per-view sales alone. This fight is much, much more eagerly anticipated. If it was to be given the go-ahead, it would be the most profitable of all time before the fighters traded blows in the ring.