Here’s how PACMAN can shock the world
FLOYD Mayweather is preparing for life after boxing. Perhaps as soon as this tumultuous night in Sin City is over.
Preparing not only himself but those members of his huge entourage who will be surplus to requirements as soon as he hangs up the gloves.
On the eve of The Fight of the Century, the richest boxing match of all time, the one against Manny Pacquiao which will define his legacy, Mayweather has warned more than 25 of his staff that the joy-ride is almost over.
These are the key sentences in a hand-written letter: ‘I cannot be your saviour forever. Everything has to end sometime.’
For any boxer to reveal himself in this frame of mind immediately before a big fight would be astounding.
For this to come from the man considered the greatest pugilist in the world as he walks into the MGM Grand Garden Arena on the most important night of his life is barely believable.
Contemplation of retirement is not the most positive mindset with which to enter a ring, least of all for an occasion of this magnitude.
Rightly or wrongly, it gives the impression of conceding the possibility of defeat.
If so, at 38, it will be the first time in his dazzling career that Mayweather has considered himself anything less than invincible.
If so, in his 48th fight, he would be inviting his first loss.
If so, it could all come to a dramatic and poignant end the moment the final bell rings.
Floyd Snr, Mayweather’s father and trainer, is urging his son to quit after this fight, telling him: ‘ If you stick around too long somebody will come and get you in the end.’
Mayweather has spent much of fight week talking retirement rather than trash. Out of loyalty, he says, he will carry on to a last appearance in September which will complete his lucrative six-fight contract with the Showtime cable television network.
But given that he now expects to bank $200million for fighting Pacquiao he could pay a penalty for pulling out one fight early.
That decision will surely depend on the manner and outcome of boxing’s first half-billion- dollar fight, which has gripped the attention of the world, mushroomed into a global media obsession and generated such a frenzy for tickets that one $10,000 inner-ringside seat has just changed hands on the black market for $350,000.
If Mayweather wins as comfortably as he is predicting, he could bow out in glory or go on to a last hurrah in an easier fight in the autumn.
If he loses or there is controversy, his options will become mired in the clamour for a re-match, which he has stated categorically he does not want.
The telltale subtext to the plot is that the Mayweathers have prepared differently for Pacquiao than for any of Floyd Jnr’s previous opponents.
Mayweather has taken to chopping tree-trunks. For the first time he has been lapping in a swimming pool. To which Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach says: ‘ Crazy. You don’t suddenly change what you’ve been doing successfully for years when you come to the biggest fight of your life.’
The implication is that Mayweather is trying to compensate for age-diminishing speed by building more strength. Maybe he has no alternative in order to cope with Pacquiao’s blistering foot and hand speed. Mayweather’s legs did appear to be slowing in his last two fights, against Marcos Maidana, in each of which he was obliged to take more punches than during half a dozen preceding bouts.
Mayweather also looks different. He is more broad- shouldered, more muscular, less lean and lithe.
After he and Pacquiao stood face to face for the first time he made a point of saying: ‘I could see Manny was shocked at how much bigger I am than him.’
In fact, he is an inch and a half the taller and has a five-inch longer reach. But it is his additional bulk which catches the eye.
Furthermore, Mayweather is behaving differently. Gone is the flash, brash Money Man persona.
Instead, he has been admiring of 36-year-old Pacquiao, courteous to one and all, polite to a fault. Subdued instead of arrogant. This has provided a weird soundtrack to those letters of regretful goodbye.
Not only that but the Mayweathers are talking about going for the knock-out. That is customary for Pacquiao, a southpaw who carries concussive power in his left hand. But Floyd Jnr’s game has always been counter- punching from within the safety of an impenetrable defence, locked solid by that raised left shoulder roll.
There are repeated hints from within the Mayweather camp that he will go for a quick kill. To which Pacquiao says: ‘I hope so. That would open up the fight and suit me.’
Roach adds: ‘I think Floyd’s legs are gone so he may come to fight. But first time he takes a big hit he could run all night.’
Floyd Snr’s sense of urgency about bringing down the curtain smacks of him knowing something about his son’s decline at which the rest of us can only guess.
Certainly, in a fight between two greats of differing styles, the perceived wisdom is that Pacquiao has a better chance now than five years ago, when it was first supposed to happen.
And the irony for Mayweather is that the more his movement may have slowed, the stronger the likelihood of a spectacular fight to set before the fans who are paying so much either to be in the Grand Garden or to watch on pay-per-view.
If the man who calls himself Money has to stand and fight, the crowd will get their money’s worth even at these eye-watering prices.
If not, we could still witness a compelling battle of style and wits between the high priest of defence and the all-action warrior prince of the Philippines. Sugar Ray Leonard expects this to be a throwback to his epic fights with Tommy Hearns, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.
Should it go to the scorecards, both camps are expressing confidence not only in the referee, Kenny Bayless, but in the three
American judges. Pacquiao and Roach do so even though Mayweather’s economic value to Las Vegas — this fight will bring well over a billion dollars to the city — could apply pressure to the two judges who reside in Nevada. If both the combatants slip into their usual style this could be an extremely difficult fight to score.
A judge who prefers aggression will be impressed by Pacquiao’s relentless work-rate. He averages almostround. a hundred punches a An official who takes note of accuracy is more likely to favour Mayweather’s precision counters. But since he is sparing to the point of only about 35 punches a round, that may not be enough to win many of those three-minute wars. Roach says: ‘We think we can win every round.’ That is optimistic against an operator of Mayweather’s class. It is possible to make an intellectual case for any number of scenarios. If the fight is won by knock-out it is more likely to be inflicted by Pacquiao’s power.
If Mayweather can assert his long left jab he could dominate proceedings.
Either could win on points. And if it is only marginally in favour of Pacquiao the judges could finesse the result into a draw, although it is improbable that they will do anything outrageous with the world watching.
The draw has been attracting much of the so-called smart money in the casino sports book, bringing those odds down from 22- 1 to 8-1.
And all the while, Mayweather is pondering whether this will be his last roll of the dice in the ring. His bracing of employees for imminent redundancy gives credence to the concern that his phenomenal spending could eat away his net worth, which will be of the order of $600m after he collects his purse for this fight.
Is he paring down towards a somewhat less opulent future?
As a man who prides himself on his loyalty, it will not be easy for him to part with people close to him.
Many of the recipients of that letter are friends of long standing whose roles in the life of the wealthiest athlete on the planet can be as simple as popping chewing gum into his mouth as he works out.
But once the money stops rolling in, any gravy train has to come to a halt. Does Mayweather have that one last special fight left in him to stop Pacquiao’s challenge, not only for the unified welterweight championship of the world but the mythical title of the poundfor-pound greatest?
His principal buffer, that left shoulder roll, is less effective against a southpaw. Especially one with the speed and left-hand power of Pacquiao, whose straight right will also present a problem.
Mayweather has a penetrating straight right of his own and it may have more power behind it after his building of more muscularity. But Roach says: ‘This fight will be won by speed, not strength, and volume of punching.’ I cannot disagree. Pacquiao to win. Probably by a close, 12- round decision. Possibly by a late stoppage, around the 10th. But only one thing is certain. There is nowhere else on earth to be this Saturday night than in the MGM Grand on what will be a manic Las Vegas Strip. Hopefully, after all the peace and love, an alltime classic fight will break out.