Fight of the Century Preview: Was Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Worth the Wait?
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will finally meet in a boxing ring on Saturday night at the MGM Grand. Fans have been impatiently waiting for this fight for years and it is finally, improbably here. Was the wait worth it? Shouldn’t they have done this years ago? What are the odds these two are selling a rematch in a year? These are just some of the questions I posed to veteran TBL commenter / die-hard boxing fan, Roman W. Helmet.
CRM: So the fight is finally happening, but it is pretty damn expensive. Right? How much Tecate and Papa John’s will you need to consume to make this fight worth it?
Roman W. Helmet: Let’s start with the price tag being an issue, it is not. People that are making it an issue are people that don’t care for boxing but want to be part of the event. I paid $140 to sit 5 rows from the top of the Nassau Coliseum to watch Game 3 of the Islanders/Capitals playoff series. Why? Because I really wanted to go and I could justify the cost. Now the fight is $99.99. I will pay that price. Why? Because I really want to see the fight and I can justify paying for it. Also, I will have friends over. They will bring Tecate and Papa John’s. That defers $7 of the cost. Seriously, this is capitalism at play. Supply and demand. They will get the same amount of people at $99.99 as they would have at $59.99.
CRM: Well, now that you have lorded your wealth and popularity over everyone, should we talk about the actual fight?
CRM: What about a rematch? Aren’t they leaving another $99.99 PPV on the table?
ROMAN: This is a one and done. I can’t see Floyd wanting to do this again. He held off for years to get Manny when he actually felt he could control the fight the way he wanted. Plus, both are in line for an insane payday that essentially pays them what they would need 3 to 4 fights to get. Manny will go be a politician and singer. Floyd will turn Mayweather Promotions into the next Golden Boy for better or for worse and they will ride off into the sunset as really wealthy ex-boxing greats who pretend they are great businessmen and politicians.
CRM: You can’t stop me from speculating. So how about the fight? Does Manny stand a chance?
ROMAN: I am super pumped for the fight. Regardless of the wait. Was the wait annoying? Yes. Did we miss what could have been the best of both fighters if this happened 4 years ago? Yes. Do I care? No. You are still going to see a great fight. Manny is still fast and can penetrate Floyd’s defense and get to him. Floyd will be bloody in this fight. Floyd will hurt Pacquiao. I know this isn’t Floyd’s normal way of fighting but Manny’s biggest weakness is his defense. Guys who can keep up with him speed-wise will hurt him, knock him down and/or out. Floyd is also bigger than Manny. This will be apparent when you see them in the ring.
Floyd will watch everything Juan Manuel Marquez did to Manny and follow that game plan. He will also watch the way he beat up JMM and follow suit. Watch that fight. Floyd destroyed a GREAT fighter both mentally and physically. That was Floyd at his peak. This Floyd will take more punishment but is still the same when it comes to peppering and then pulverizing a guy’s face. Manny has a weak chin so don’t be shocked if this does end in a knockout. Floyd will empty the tank. He has nothing left to save it for and at this point he knows he can win (which I don’t think he did a few years ago) and this is his legacy.
I see it as Mayweather winning in the 10th by knockout. Both will bring out the best in each other. We will get our money’s worth. Then we will have to endure their other passions and horseshit for the rest of their lives.
CRM: Fair enough. Hey, did you hear something?
ROMAN: Yeah, what was that?
[@MiggieSmalls sidles out from behind cabinet]
CRM: How long have you been here?
MIGGIE: That’s not important. You can ignore me. I’m just here in case someone says something stupid and I need to use it against them at a later date.
CRM: That’s a peculiar role to play in this preview. Would you like to add something to the proceedings?
ROMAN: Belts are meaningless. Every boxer has some sort of claim to an alphabet title and are either the US, intercontinental, interim, super, platinum, or diamond champion OF THE WORLD!!!!! These are two of the best fighters of our generation and the two most iconic. I love both as fighters. I hate Floyd Mayweather as a human being but I love Floyd Mayweather the boxer. He is an artist. Manny gets the good guy cred but he is no saint either. He just doesn’t flaunt his horseshit on reality TV. I think Manny is a gutty fighter and very skilled. I just want the best possible fight.
MIGGIE: Look, I hope Pacquiao hoovered all the ‘roids and wins, but I don’t expect it. Were you aware that there’s a Kentucky Derby this weekend? Were you aware that ScarJo is hosting SNL? Both of those things are completely on the backburner, and white people are pissed so they’re trying to minimize this fight. All the decent bars in Austin are charging $20-30 covers on Saturday and are expecting sellouts, mostly based on people calling ahead to see if there will be availability.
CRM: I knew about the Derby, but haven’t heard much chatter about it.
ROMAN: Nobody cares about the Kentucky Derby until three minutes before it starts.
CRM: That’s another debate. I’d rather focus on Scarlett Johansson. I had no idea ScarJo was on SNL. Avengers is opening on a packed sports weekend, but the first Avengers opened on a similarly packed fight / Derby weekend. I assume bars all around the country are offering to let people watch for a hefty cover charge. The last time Ronda Rousey fought, Buffalo Wild Wings was packed at 5pm with people waiting to watch her. Assume people will be camping out there all day for May-Pac. Like them, I just hope it was worth the wait.