Floyd plays down bout hype
Las Vegas, April 30: Floyd Mayweather insisted that his blockbuster fight against Manny Pacquiao is about boxing and business, not angels and demons, as the rivals went eyeball-to-eyeball at their final pre-fight press conference.
Pacquiao goes into Saturday’s bout that has the boxing world buzzing trailing a mantle of humanitarian deeds.
The two-term Congressman tipped as a future Philippines president has left womanising and gambling ways behind him and while he stands to make some $100 million for his night’s work on Saturday, the devout Christian says he hopes the intense focus on the Mourinho admitted he had been far from happy with the first-half display, though, he had to restrain himself from revealing what he said to the players at the break.
“If I repeat on television what I said it will be ‘peep peep peep’. Too many peeps!” said the Portuguese.
Mourinho, who has regained some of his lustre since returning after a largely underwhelming spell with Real Madrid, said Palace would not be a walkover on Sunday.
“Stamford Bridge
is fight will be a stage for the glorification of God. “I want to inspire,” Pacquiao said.
But Mayweather won’t ready to celebrate but if I can ask something from them it is to not celebrate,” said Mourinho.
“We all want to win on Sunday but it will be a difficult game.”
His Leicester counterpart Nigel Pearson graciously said Chelsea would be worthy title winners and insisted his side would still avoid an immediate return to the second tier.
“There is a feeling we are capable and have given ourselves a better chance of avoiding relegation,” siad Pearson.
“Tonight is a setback be playing the devil, despite a history that includes two months in jail in 2012 for an assault on an ex-girlfriend in
— AFP front of two of their children. “I am a realist,” said Mayweather, the 38year-old American who has parlayed a perfect 470 ring record into a reign as the highest paid sportsman on the planet. “This fight is not good versus evil. It is one fighter who is at the top and another.”
It was Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach who first billed the fight as good against evil, citing Mayweather’s record of domestic violence.
Mayweather has often courted controversy — comparing himself favourably to Muhammad Ali and flaunting the perks his wealth has brought: houses, cars, even an airplane.
— AFP