Mayweather plays Pacman
THIS was a week that the sporting world had been waiting for.
At last Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao came face to face in preparation for their eagerly anticipated May 2 fight in Las Vegas.
And the unbeaten world champion Mayweather got the ball rolling by taunting his rival that he alone has never experienced the pain of defeat.
The fight will be the richest in history, with a purse of $250million.
The two men, dressed in suits, faced off, calm and serious. There were no smiles, but a little tension. No pushing and shoving either. There appeared to be great respect between them.
But it was Mayweather, cannily, who proved he remains a master of psychology.
“It’s been a long road. But we are here now,” said Mayweather. Thanking his team, and even appearing a little emotional, he added: “May 2, the fight of the century, the best against the best. And Pacquiao is one of the best of this era.
“Our plan is to be smart and take every fight as they come, like all 47 fights. I’m in the gym pushing myself to the limit because I want to win this more than any other fight. But I know one thing about sport — if you lose, it’s in your mind. I have always been a winner.”
Mayweather has never lost. Pacquiao has lost five times. The record of 11-time, five-division world champion May- weather reads: 47 fights, 26 knockouts; and of eight-division world champion Pacquiao, 57 fights, two draws, 38 knockouts.
“I just want the fans to be satisfied,” said Pacquiao, who spoke first. “I’m so happy we could make the fight happen.
“Thanks to the Mayweather Team and to Showtime and HBO. The fans of boxing were waiting for this for five years. We are both going to train hard and we will do our best on May 2 to make you happy.”
This week was the only time they face off until fight week, seven weeks away, with both sides having decided to forego the media tour of several cities that is normally a part of these huge pay-per-view fight events.
But this coming together may have established the ground rules and may be a moment when either side believes they have establish the upper hand in some way. At any rate, the world watched and craned its neck to see which side may have walked away with an early advantage.
The making of “Money” versus “Pacman” dates back to 2009, when talks first began, but disputes over drug testing and the details spoiled talks twice.
Mayweather is the highest paid athlete on earth, and his career earnings will rise to over half-a-billion dollars from this contest. Pacquiao, brought up in poverty, is a Congressman and in many ways has captured the hearts of Americans, as well as being adored as the most popular Filipino. — © The Daily Telegraph, London