The Match of the Century: Mayweather vs Pacquiao
The Match of the Century?
Sports’ history is full of instances where gladiators have squared off to dish out a clash for the ages. Now, people all around the globe are waiting with bated breaths as they prepare to watch one of the most anticipated clashes in history, between two men who have achieved it all. The most expensive boxing match of all time is about to roll into town with Manny Pacquiao, the eight division world champion and Floyd Mayweather, the five division world champion, taking on each other in a slugfest to remember forever.
Both these legendary fighters have rewritten history books over the years. They have managed to get to the very top of the boxing world and have done everything there is to done-except face each other. This fight has been in the making for over six years and now the two biggest names in the sport are about to get it on in Las Vegas for a historic bout.
Both, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, have had incredible careers so it is only natural that the two step foot inside the ring for their super clash to see who the better boxer is. With contrasting backgrounds and personalities the two couldn’t be more different. This will be Floyd’s flamboyance clashing with Pacquiao’s simplicity.
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Manny Pacquiao Profile
Emmanuel “Manny” Dapidran Pacquiao was born in 1978 in the Philippines. He had a difficult upbringing and had to drop out of school because he could not afford it. He moved out at the age of fourteen and went to Manila where he had to fend for himself out on the streets. However, it was that experience which eventually led to his interest in boxing. He won several local tournaments and made it to the Philippines national amateur boxing team.
Pacquiao moved up the boxing ranks quite quickly and finished his amateur career with sixty victories and only four defeats. In 1995, at the age of sixteen, he had his first official professional boxing bout against Edmund Ignacio in the light flyweight division, which he won by decision.
He kept his winning run going with only a few hiccups along the way and managed to win his first OPBF flyweight title against Chokchai Chockvivat in 1996. He won his first WBC and lineal flyweight titles against Chatchai Sasakul in 1998 when he knocked him out in the eighth round. Pacquiao has competed in sixty four fights throughout his professional career and has amassed a 57-5-2 record with thirty eight knockouts to his credit.
Floyd Mayweather Profile
Floyd Mayweather Jr. was born in 1977 and comes from a family with a long boxing history. His father Floyd Mayweather Sr. was a welterweight contender himself while his uncles, Jeff Mayweather and Roger Mayweather, had also been professional boxers. Roger had, in fact, won two world championships and would go on to become Floyd’s trainer. Floyd too went through a difficult childhood and the only solace in his life at the time was boxing. He realized that he had a natural talent for it and decided to drop out of school in order to make a career as a boxer.
Mayweather developed a defensive boxing stance and it worked out great as he went 84-6 in his amateur boxing career. He also managed to represent the U.S in the 1996 Olympics and won a Bronze medal in the featherweight division. He then made his official professional boxing debut in 1996 against Roberto Apodaca, who he knocked out in round two. Floyd has stepped foot in the ring for forty seven professional bouts and is yet to taste defeat. He also has twenty six knock outs against his name.
The Preparations
The clamor for a fight between these two boxing heavyweights had been going on for a long time and discussions were in advanced stages in 2009, only for both parties to back out. It took over six years of constant negotiations, fan requests and a chance meeting at a Miami Heat basketball game that led to the final confirmation.
The Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao boxing match is expected to be the most watched and the most lucrative fight in the history of the sport and will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The winner of the titanic clash will get a belt specifically designed for this slugfest. The belt cost over an incredible one million dollars and has the faces of, Mayweather, Pacquiao, José Sulaimán and Muhammad Ali while the center logo is made of several precious emeralds.
The Fight
There have been countless matches throughout history that have given boxing fans everything they can ask for in a fight. From Muhammad Ali’s fights against Joe Frazier and George Forman, to Mike Tyson versus Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, we have enjoyed a long list of unforgettable bouts over the years. The upcoming Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao boxing match will be a worthy addition to that list. As two of the biggest names in boxing collide, the bout definitely has the potential of being the match of the century, one that will keep fans of the sport talking about it for generations to come.
