Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Latest Comments, Updates on Undercard and Predictions
There has been a constant buzz in boxing ever since Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao announced they would throw down fisticuffs in the superfight the world has been anticipating over this past half-decade.
It seems like hardly any time passes between the undercard updates, workout whispers and media jabs. The bout has cast a looming shadow over the sport, and at times it can feel like all other cards, no matter the location, weight class or date, are all just a precursor to this May 2 fight in Las Vegas.
If the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout has you asking yourself "what could possibly come next?"—Money himself might have an answer.
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According to BBC Sport, Mayweather says the sweet science now feels like a "job" and the Pacquiao punch-fest may be his penultimate prizefight.
"I don't enjoy it like I once did. My last fight is in September," he said, via BBC Sport.
Assuming Mayweather beats Pacquiao and there is no rematch, one potential opponent for Money might be British star Amir Khan (30-3, 19 KOs).
The 28-year-old star lacks power but has the don't-blink-or-you'll-miss handspeed that could prove problematic for the much older Mayweather.
Former British world champion Ricky Hatton, whom Mayweather defeated in 2007, certainly appears to think Khan would stand a chance.
“I think Floyd would run a mile from Amir Khan,” Hatton said, via The Guardian's Kevin Mitchell, “not from a fear factor, obviously, but styles make fights."
With few welterweight opponents that would make sense for Mayweather, especially when he might be going for the vaunted 49-0 career record, Khan might be one of the few prestige opponents available, per Hatton:
"But, when you’re the best, pound-for-pound, like Floyd Mayweather – and Amir’s as big a name as is out there, he’s beaten pretty much everyone – he might be forced to fight Amir Khan. He might be running out of opponents. I say this all the time, and everybody laughs at me: I think he’s got a good chance of beating him.
"
It's a fun idea to toss around, but Mayweather must still take care of business on May 2 before deciding whom his potential final opponent might be.
Undercard Updates, Predictions
| Class | Matchup | Prediction |
| Cruiserweight | Andrew Tabiti vs. Anthony Caputo Smith | Tabiti, KO |
| Super middleweight | Jesse Hart vs. Mike Jimenez | Jimenez, UD |
| Super Welterweight | Chris Pearson vs. Said El Harrak | Pearson, TKO |
| Featherweight | Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Gamalier Rodriguez | Lomachenko, UD |
| Leo Santa Cruz vs. TBA | N/A | |
| Welterweight | Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao | Mayweather, UD |
According to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, cruiserweight knockout artist Andrew Tabiti will face Anthony Caputo Smith on the non-televised portion of the Mayweather-Pacquiao card:
This fleshes out the card quite nicely, and the majority of the bouts appear to be in place ahead of the superfight.
RingTV.com's Francisco Salazar reported in March that Jesse Hart would take on Mike Jimenez as part of the non-televised portion of the evening.
Rafael has also reported that Leo Santa Cruz would face an as-yet undetermined opponent on the pay-per-view card, while Chris Pearson will fight Said El Harrak on the non-televised card.
RingTV.com's Vladimir Lik reported in March that Vasyl Lomachenko (3-1, 1 KO) would take on Gamalier Rodriguez (25-2-3, 17 KOs) as part of the main card.
The confirmation of Santa Cruz and Lomachenko to the pay-per-view main card makes it quite an appealing, international lineup sure to offer fans around the world someone to cheer for, or vilify.
There's Pacquiao from the Philippines, Santa Cruz from Mexico, Rodriguez from Puerto Rico, two-time Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko from Eastern Europe (Ukraine, specifically) and Mayweather, well, just being his outspoken, undefeated self, dividing fans in the States as well as across the globe.
A Closer Look: Lomachenko vs. Rodriguez
Lomachenko will be defending his WBO World featherweight title on May 2 against Rodriguez in what should be a highly-technical battle.
Rodriguez hasn't lost a bout since August 2009, and he has truly come into his own as a force in the featherweight ranks in the last two years or so. He defeated Alicio Castaneda for the vacant WBO NABO featherweight title in May 2013, and will be heading into Vegas in fine form after earning a second-round, TKO victory over Martin Cardona in October.
The Puerto Rican has upgraded his power game in recent bouts; five of his last seven fights have ended early (4 TKOs, one retirement).
This will be just the second time Rodriguez has fought in Vegas, and one will have to wonder if the stage and importance of the night will get to this relatively unheralded pugilist.
Lomachenko's short pro resume is potentially misleading; the 27-year-old is not to be taken lightly. The southpaw enjoyed an extensive, wildly successful amateur career and has proven to be a tough, aggressive fighter in his brief time as a pro.
His last bout was a resounding unanimous decision win over Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo on the Pacquiao-Chris Algieri undercard in November. The Ukrainian earned 10 points in all 12 rounds on all three judges' scorecards, per BoxRec, despite injuring his hand halfway through the bout.
His only pro loss came to Orlando Salido in March 2014, by split decision. It's a result that looks a bit more unfavorable in light of Salido's recent loss to Rocky Martinez, but Lomachenko was fighting for the WBO World featherweight title in just his second pro bout and the performance of referee Laurence Cole was suspect, as noted by Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole:
"Salido's inside work was the difference in a rough, tough fight that was poorly officiated by referee Laurence Cole, who missed numerous fouls and seemed to let anything go."
Rodriguez is a fine opponent, but Lomachenko should take this one.
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