Floyd Mayweather Posts Training Pics, Manny Pacquiao Game Plan Stays Secret
Floyd Mayweather Jr. has started training ahead of his super-fight with Manny Pacquiao on May 2, as revealed through a series of photos posted online.
Not one to keep his head down, Pretty Boy shared a number of images from his first session on social media website Shots. This includes photos of him lifting weights and sparring in front of an interested crowd, tweeted by MailOnline Sport:
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Pacquiao also started working on Monday, although he did so without trainer Freddie Roach. The American Hall of Fame inductee is currently helping Zou Shiming prepare for his world title fight against Amnat Ruenroeng, but will return to Pacquiao's side once Saturday's clash is over.
In fact, Roach is preparing to bed down with the Filipino fighter, closing the door to media intrusion in a bid to concoct a game plan which will end Mayweather's career-long winning streak. Roach is ready to shut the team away to get things right, reported by Unus Alladin of the South China Morning Post:
"I won’t tell you what the game plan is because that will be very silent. The whole Wildcard Gym [in Los Angeles, where Pacquiao is training] will be shut down and we will work out Manny’s best strategy and nobody will watch it.
The cameras are only allowed after sparring and after mitts because the game plan is very important in this fight. I have had a plan for five years for this guy [Mayweather]. It has changed a bit [over the years] because both fighters have changed. But most of it is still intact and I know exactly what I want Manny to do. When I go home to training camp, we’ll start working on it.
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Roach believes both fighters were stronger five years ago—when this encounter was first discussed—but Mayweather has suffered "a bit more than Manny" at the latter stages of his career. The trainer also labelled Money "a good fighter," but someone who can be considered "boring" and "very defensive," per Alladin.
Although he doesn't want to give much away, Roach suggested, "We have to dictate the pace of the fight, we have to throw more punches." Busyness certainly stops Pacquiao from the lure of complacency and could halt Mayweather's attempt to find his rhythm.
Manny doesn't possess the knockout power he once did—it will have been exactly six years since he knocked an opponent out when he steps into the ring on May 2—so it's important his game plan is built with the long-run in mind. Ricky Hatton was the last to fall by his gloves, but Pacquiao will have to turn back the clock if he's to get close to dishing out Mayweather's first ever KO loss.
Pacquiao won't be able to hide forever, though, and is set to complete the duo's only scheduled press conference on March 11. Both boxers can expect intense questioning as the world's press descends upon Vegas with the pre-contest hype starting to build.
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum recently detailed the cut of the cash both fighters will receive, with the pot likely being split in Mayweather's favour. "We have to do the math," Arum told ESPN's Friday Night Fights (via BoxingScene.com's Miguel Rivera). "After adding everything, I think the [amount of money] to distribute will be $300 million—60 percent for Mayweather, which is $180 million, and 40 percent for Pacquiao, which is $120 million."
Arum's full interview, in which he covers a range of topics surrounding the fight, was tweeted by ESPN Boxing:
"VIDEO: @trboxing promoter Bob Arum discusses how the @FloydMayweather-@MannyPacquiao superfight came together http://t.co/Hw8ZlCAxBd #FNF
— ESPN Boxing (@ESPNBoxing) February 28, 2015"
Fans are likely to feel pangs of excitement knowing both stars are now working toward full fitness. The contest has been a long time coming—so long, in fact, many questioned whether it would ever happen—but there's only eight weeks before the pair finally come toe-to-toe.
The magnitude of such a fight extends beyond boxing aficionados and is likely to capture the interest of many who rarely watch the sport. It's a clash to be savoured, one in which both icons are ready to define their careers. While we're already seeing two very different approaches to training—Floyd is public, Manny is private—both will be fully prepared when the opening bell sounds.
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