FINALLY!

POUND FOR POUND, punch for punch, this is it—the only superfight that truly matters. Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have been dancing around this historic matchup for more than half a decade, somehow avoiding it through the prime of their careers, and now, as both slide into their late-30s decline, each finds himself facing his biggest challenge yet: the other guy. At long last, the two greatest fighters of their era will meet to unify their welterweight titles on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as well as to determine, once and for all, boxing’s ultimate alpha dog. And in addition to establishing which of the planet’s two most popular pugilists reigns supreme, this epochal clash will be the richest fight in history by far, raking in an estimated $500 million when all revenue streams are finally tallied, and clocking an expected four million pay-perview buys, almost double the current record. Both Showtime and HBO— longtime rivals themselves—will telecast the proceedings.

More than just ridiculously lucrative and impossibly hyped, Maypac is a perfect study in violent contrasts. Mayweather’s defensive supremacy will finally collide with Pacquiao’s furious offense. Everyone will remember where they were when Mayweather outboxed Pacquiao, or when Pacquiao punched that precious “0” off Mayweather’s record. Whatever happens, we’ll likely enjoy 12 of the most eagerly anticipated rounds of boxing the world has ever seen—if the contenders go the distance as expected. And if it ends in a surprise knockout? Well, the unrelenting hell storm of #Maypac tweets and Instagram posts will melt iphones around the globe.

The fighters are perfect opposites: In one corner, we have Pacquiao, a Jesus-loving Filipino congressman as sweetly earnest as he is brutal, as fleet-footed as he is dangerous, and as committed to causing pain as his opponent is wedded to avoiding punishment. In the other, we’ve got Mayweather, the world’s highest-paid athlete, a beyond-brash showman who calls himself “the Best Ever,” who dances around his opponents, taunting them to fall flat, which they inevitably do. It’s the soft-spoken family man who shelled out $3 million to build a megachurch and runs a scholarship program for orphans in his impoverished homeland versus the trash-talking ex-con who doesn’t care if you love him or hate him— so long as you’re contributing to his net worth.

Maypac has been dubbed the Super Bowl of boxing—but it’s so much more than that. After all, the Super Bowl happens every year. This is the fight of the century. It is not only the most monied fight ever; it will also be the biggest in terms of global interest, thanks to the multitude of media platforms that will amplify this clash of the titans beyond avoidance. Maypac is a thunderous rumble crossing continents and cultures, not to mention cable channels and social platforms that didn’t exist in 1975, when Ali and Frazier culminated their bloody trilogy with the “Thrilla in Manila,” perhaps boxing’s last true superfight.

There are naysayers who claim Maypac is five years too late, delayed for such a ludicrous length of time by well-documented squabbles over purse splits, blood-testing, and, many boxing observers believe, Mayweather’s reluctance to face Pacquiao during his fearsome prime. But can you blame him? Before Pac’s shocking 2012 knockout loss to Juan Manuel Márquez, he was savagely laying waste to elite boxers including De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, and Antonio Margarito.

Mayweather and Pacquiao’s legacies are so inexorably intertwined, they couldn’t possibly end their careers without fighting each other. They are forever tethered, shadowing each other by fighting the same opponents, all while avoiding the one defining matchup that really counted. But even if they rolled into the ring in wheelchairs, the world would still watch this supreme spectacle. Some things are just meant to be.

The Maypac fight comes as boxing is poised for a serious resurrection. Thanks to Mayweather adviser Al Haymon’s “Premier Boxing Champions” series, the sport is back on free TV, offering marquee matchups in prime time. But those lesser bouts are merely an appetizer to the most hotly anticipated PPV punch-up ever, an epic contest that stands to capture the imaginations of hard-core boxing fans and curious rubberneckers alike. Will Pacquiao prevail because of his unorthodox southpaw style, all-action assaults, and fast feet? Or will Mayweather claim yet another victory with his masterful boxing skills, mind-boggling ring IQ, and impenetrable defense?

My money’s on “Money”—but whatever happens, let’s just hope we don’t wait another five years for the rematch. —jaime lowe