Is Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Still the Best Fight in Boxing?
The one fight boxing fans have universally begged for was finally announced Friday, potentially setting up the biggest megafight in boxing history. No one doubts the historical or cultural importance of Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather—but is it still the best fight in boxing too?
Will it be as excellent to watch as the promotional buildup would have us believe? Or have the aging all-time greats slid past the point of presenting the millions of likely spectators the prime superfight matchup many are expecting to see?
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While the undefeated Mayweather will likely remain the prohibitive favorite in the lead-up to the fight on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, there are many in boxing who believe Pacquiao is, and perhaps always has been, Mayweather’s best competition at welterweight. For that reason alone, Pacquiao against Mayweather is probably the best fight in boxing today.
The argument against such a view is relatively simple, if not inherently flawed. It goes something like this: Pacquiao has had trouble with counterpunchers in the past and so Mayweather, maybe the greatest counterpuncher of the era, will surely make mincemeat out of him.
After all, Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao’s great historical nemesis, has given Pac-Man fits over their four fights against each other, and Mayweather proved himself to be the master of Marquez in 2009 when he won virtually every second of every round against him.
But more astute observers of the sweet science know styles make fights, and this same crowd of fight aficionados would tell you there are actually many subtle differences between the styles of Mayweather and Marquez. Sure, they are both excellent counterpunchers, but there is so much more nuance to each man’s preferences in the ring.
For one, Mayweather avoids subjecting himself to danger as much as is befitting a person in his line of work. Marquez is not nearly cut from the same cloth. He is a man who gambles on his ability to outpunch his opponent, when all the chips are down and fists are flying in from all angles. Where Mayweather would turn, pivot and reset, Marquez would hold steadfast in the pocket and throw combinations.
Another less-than-trivial divergence in the two men’s makeup is how Marquez is a wonderfully gifted combination puncher. Mayweather might be too, except he remains content to throw one or two shots at a time so often during a prizefight that one would never be able to discern that ability without perhaps seeing him in the gym on a heavy bag.
Pacquiao is no heavy bag. He’s a fast, aggressive and skilled southpaw with an absurd abundance of speed and power at his disposal. He will be the best pure athlete Mayweather has ever faced. Making things even worse for Manny's opponents is that the popular fighter appears emboldened by things that might discourage most men. Wallop him good with some blunt force trauma to the face, and be ready to double down your efforts to defend yourself because Pacquiao is coming right back at you.
While Mayweather will be the best fighter Pacquiao has ever faced, he certainly won’t be the scariest. Pacquiao fought a who’s who of bedeviling featherweights in Marquez, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera on his way up the ranks, and he bested them all without nearly the skills he has now.
And it’s certainly safe to say that Pacquiao is the best fighter Mayweather will have ever faced too. That even Floyd's most loyal supporters were beginning to wonder what has taken him so long to fight Pacquiao would give certain sight to even the most blind on that topic of conversation.
That’s not a knock on his resume. Mayweather has fought great competition, but he’s never faced a fighter like Pacquiao.
Yahoo’s Kevin Iole spelled it out perfectly in a recent column in which he indicated the fight is not as tantalizing as it once was. There was no bigger proposed fight in boxing after Pacquiao demolished Miguel Cotto in 2009 than a showdown between him and Mayweather. It would have been one for the ages.
Had it happened then, it might have been the best fight in history.
But after five long years of waiting for it, there is still no bigger or better fight in boxing than Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. Oh sure, one may emerge from the shadows down the line. The ascendance of middleweight star Gennady Golovkin could lead to a superfight between either he and 168-pound champ Andre Ward or perhaps the winner of that bout versus 175-pound menace Sergey Kovalev.
And boxing purists may already be salivating at the idea of a chess match between junior featherweight king Guillermo Rigondeaux and the absurdly talented Vasyl Lomachenko.
Heck, even a potential tussle between lineal middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and 154-pound superstar Canelo Alvarez would have enough glitz and glamour associated with it to satisfy even the most dedicated celebrity stargazers in our fight culture today.
But no other fight in boxing is the total package like Pacquiao and Mayweather.
The two men still represent the biggest threat to each other’s kingdoms. They are still the sport’s two biggest stars. Their styles will still make for good television. Mayweather has the fast feet and precise punching to give the offensive-minded Pacquiao fits. And Pacquiao’s angle-driven attack with fast and furious punches from a southpaw stance will make Mayweather duck and dodge more than he’s ever had to in his life.
Pacquiao vs. Mayweather is the best fight in boxing today, and what’s even more important is that after five long years of hoping, it’s finally going to happen.
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