Pacquiao vs. Mayweather: Live Stream Schedule for Weigh-In

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are set for one of boxing's most historic moments. 

The weigh-in.

Laugh at the prospect of the two legendary fighters standing in their underwear on scales Friday, but it's big business and perhaps the biggest weigh-in the sport will ever see—unless the two dance a second time down the road.

Call Friday's event a necessary evil, if not a welcome exchange to help soothe what has been quite a long wait for the anticipated fight. Here's how to catch Friday's event and what to expect.

Weigh-In Information

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

When: Friday, May 1, at 6 p.m. ET

Watch: Showtime and HBO

Live Stream: Showtime Anytime

What to Expect and Fight Prediction 

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Lots of cameras flashing, tough guy stances and both fighters qualifying at the proper weight.

But in all seriousness, tickets for Friday's weigh-in as of a few days ago were going for the small lump sum of $200-$500, per Jimmy Traina of Fox Sports. As ESPN's Darren Rovell points out, it took all of an hour and change for the event to sell out:

Again, the weigh-in is big business. How much does it impact the actual fight? Perhaps not a lot.

These two know each other well, and the globe knows both of them in an intimate matter. Pacquiao's the guy who will floor the pedal in a relentless pursuit to bully the competition into a loss, while Mayweather's self-preserving style can draw the ire of fans at times but is lethal in the minds of judges and on scorecards.

Then again, there are those who believe at least one of the superstars may surprise. Just ask Oscar De La Hoya, per Susanna Kim of ABC News:

"We know what Mayweather is going to do. He doesn't change his game plan. There's nothing new to his style. With Pacquiao, there is so much room for improvement that he might surprise us."

Pacquiao doesn't have a choice but to change. He's going against perhaps the greatest counterpuncher ever whose style has him undefeated. Mayweather's last opponent, Marcos Maidana, attempted to overwhelm him by throwing a significant amount of punches but lost both times on the scorecards thanks to sloppy connection rates that didn't sniff Mayweather's efficiency.

It's ill-advised for Pacquiao to attempt the same thing, especially considering he figures to be lighter than Maidana was in both bouts. The globe has already seen "Pac-Man" get too confident in his offensive abilities and eat the canvas in a 2012 knockout at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez.

Critics will cry foul at how long it took for these two to get in the ring together. While a bit pessimistic, maybe this was the point—Mayweather picks and chooses his spots so carefully in the ring against his opponents, and maybe he waited until he believed Pacquiao's skills diminished enough to ensure a win.

Would anyone put this approach past Mayweather? His style is conducive to longevity. He hasn't lost much in the way of speed or anticipation, hence his undefeated mark. Pacquiao's style begs for a mistake and falters the older he gets, hence the knockout loss.

Five years ago, maybe Pacquiao's unorthodox southpaw stance and younger speed-power combo give him a chance at ending a fight against Mayweather early, or at least giving the judges some pause on the scorecards.

Now? Pacquiao hasn't registered any sort of knockout triumph since 2009 and has two losses since then. It's safe to presume he needs Saturday's encounter to end with a stoppage before the final bell, because nobody beats Mayweather on the scorecards.

Barring an early surprise while Mayweather is still studying and adapting to Pacquiao's style, the victor seems obvious. Mayweather has aged better, remains undefeated for a reason and improves as a fight continues on toward the cards.

Look for Mayweather to pull out a decision. For now, though, enjoy the pre-fight circus centered on a lucrative weigh-in session in which bother fighters and their camps are sure to provide plenty of noteworthy quotes and details about Saturday's historic meeting.