Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are squaring up tonight in Las Vegas in what is billed to be boxing greatest match up. And you may want to question that, but what you can’t argue with is that at $300m this is indeed boxing’s biggest economic event. But away from the prize, if it was entirely up to my wishes I would want these two excellent fighters to stand square and slug it out. The world isn’t looking forward to one of those love-ins like the shambles that Vladimir Kliltschko and Bryant Jennings fed us the other night.
Did you watch? No? Well neither did I. And that is how far the level of entertainment has dropped in boxing that a heavy weight title fight just slips by unnoticed. So if the sweet science is to reclaim its appeal, it would be nice that we get a proper fight tonight in which a clear winner emerges to erase any lingering doubts about who is the best pound for pound fighter. But I suspect Floyd Mayweather will dance around the ring behind his luxury gloves, doing that shoulder roll of his that deflects punches away from his million dollar smirk. It is from behind this defense that he likes to launch his devastating counter attacks like Ricky Hatton would attest. And this is how he has amassed all his millions, so an extra $240 million should not be motivation enough to deviate.
Then Manny Pacquiao will come at him screaming in a flurry of punches, not only because he is this brave-heart, looking to end a particularly annoying argument, but because this is, for one, his style and also best chance to win against Mayweather. He can’t match him in the finer arts of the game. If everything goes according to form then, I am afraid I will have to disappoint all Manny fans, myself included, and say that Mayweather will win. He is a much cleverer fighter and one whose style doesn’t necessarily fade with his 38 years. He can sit and wait for a mistake from Manny.
He has always sat and waited, and with astounding success too, like his record demonstrates. It feels like a fixed match already doesn’t it? And I have a problem here. It just looks like the match was conveniently selected for a time, place and circumstances that suited Mayweather. It is like he knew he had to fight Manny one day – just not at the peak of his powers.
For that matter the only way for this contest to hold any charm would be if Mayweather threw caution to the wind and truly risked his undefeated reputation. I am not suggesting he should get careless and have his expensive gum shield knocked out of his mouth, even if that would be cheer-worthy.
But please do give us more than those annoyingly good defensive tactics. The world is baying for a good old toe-to-toe fight that would re-awaken our primeval love for blood sport.
banturakim@gmail.com
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