Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao: Fight Time and Scorecard Predictions

The fight the entire boxing world has been waiting for takes place Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The pay-per-view broadcast begins at 9 p.m. ET, but Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao may not climb into the ring until some time between 11 p.m. and midnight ET.

This fight is huge in so many ways that it's hard to grasp them all. One main reason it's a must-see event is because Mayweather insists the end is near. Per Laceup Boxing, that point is reiterated in this quote from the pound-for-pound king:

Everyone has a prediction, and they seem to be fairly split. Casual fans seem to favor Pacquiao, while the more astute members of the boxing community are picking Mayweather. This is a very difficult fight to predict, mostly because we don't know what style of fight Pacquiao will employ.

Will he be aggressive in a way that plays into Mayweather's hands, or will he try to use his speed and work rate to put Money in peril?

Here's my take: This bout will go the distance, but there will be at least one knockdown. Who's tasting the canvas? I truly believe a more aggressive Mayweather will put Pacquiao down with a counter right hand near the middle rounds.

I'm not sure Pacquiao will actually be hurt from the shot or just caught perfectly, but it will result in a knockdown, nonetheless. Pacquiao's warrior spirit will want to come back and hurt Mayweather, but his aggression will only diminish his chances to win.

Mayweather must be concerned with Pacquiao stealing rounds with his work rate. That's how Marcos Rene Maidana was able to have the limited success that he enjoyed against him in their first meeting.

When Pacquiao is right, he can throw upward of a 100 punches per round. To slow Pacquiao down or stem the tide, Mayweather is going to have to make him feel his power and pick his spots to fight.

Money is a stronger puncher than people think. He normally fights a style that doesn't require him to sit down on his punches. However, he is capable of packing a wallop when he tries to deliver a shot.

One previous example that demonstrated Mayweather's power was his bout against Miguel Cotto. While he didn't stop Cotto, Mayweather's wide right hand buckled the tough Puerto Rican on more than one occasion.

To win this fight by decision, Mayweather needs to score a knockdown and mix in instances where he lands power punches and not just his trademark straight right-hand lead. 

Something tells me Pacquiao will come out looking to box rather than slug. Mayweather will have to land something that ignites Pacquiao to make him revert to his more natural aggressive style.

The real question in this fight is whether Mayweather can handle Pacquiao's speed. Money has never fought an opponent who was faster than him. We won't know if that's the case in this fight until it begins. If it is, we also don't know if Mayweather can adjust to that. If he can, he'll beat Pacquiao easily and be in position to knock him out.

If he can't, he'll have two choices: accept an unanimous-decision defeat while keeping himself upright or to bring the fight to Pacquiao in an effort to try to stop him.

Quite honestly, I'm not sure which fight we'll see.

Pressed for a prediction, I'd say Mayweather finds a way to win based on his superior in-ring IQ, but this is going to be a very interesting chess match between true kings of the sport.

For specifics, let's say Mayweather wins 116-112 on two cards and 115-113 on the third.

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