(Photo credit: Stephanie Trapp/Mayweather Promotions) By Chester Rivers: Which fighter are you hoping will win on May 2 and why? Do you NOT like Floyd Mayweather Jr. because of the braggadocios persona portrayed in the media? Do you think Manny Pacquiao is a paper champion fabricated to be the anti-Mayweather? The attractiveness of this fight is the clash of polar opposites.
Mayweather the tactical technician versus Pacquiao the free swinging typhoon whose fist are as destructive as any storm. These two can’t be more different; can they? Well, you’ll be surprised that these two have more in common [in the ring] than you realize.
Did you know that neither fighter is known professionally by their birth name? Will you pay $100 dollars for a ppv to watch Emmanuel Pacquiao vs, Floyd Joy Sinclair? If you answered no, then you’ll miss the most anticipated fight in the history of boxing. It’s a no-brainer Manny’s birth name is Emmanuel. But when it comes to Floyd, many people will be dumb found to learn he was born a Sinclair. Floyd’s father and mother, Deborah Sinclair, were not married. He was named Floyd after his father and took the surname of his mother Sinclair. Mayweather Jr. did not take the name Mayweather until age 11.
Did you know that both fighters became world champions around the same time? It’s true! Both fighters won their first world title in 1998 under the same sanctioning body. Floyd won his title , the WBC Super-Featherweight title, on 10-3-1998. Manny Pacquiao won the WBC Flyweight title on 12-4-1998. The opponents of both men were eerily similar as well. Floyd stopped Genaro Hernandez, who was 34-1, in the eighth round and Manny stopped Chatchai Sasakul, 36-1, also in the eighth round.
When Floyd and Manny won their first world titles, Floyd had 14 victories via knockout and Manny 15
Did you know that their knockout power is virtually the same at welterweight? Manny Pacquiao has fought a total of 10 times as welterweight and won 2 by knockout. Meanwhile, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has fought 9 times as a welterweight with a total of 2 knockouts. In fact, their knockout percentage for their careers are nearly the same as well. Pacquiao has a 59% knockout rate and Mayweather Jr. has a 53% knockout rate.
Did you know that Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao became superstars after defeating the same two common opponents back to back coincidentally in the same months? Both had some celebrity in the sport, but after back to back victories over Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya both fighters became superstars. Mayweather Jr defeated De La Hoya via split decision in May 2007. In his next bout in December 2007 he knocked out Ricky Hatton. Floyd was scheduled for a December 2008 rematch with Oscar De La Hoya, but the two could not agree on the purse split.
Mayweather Jr. abruptly retired from the sport and was replaced by Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao defeated De La Hoya and Hatton, both by knockout, in December 2008 and May 2009 respectively. It was Pacquiao’s sensational one punch knockout of Hatton that started the demand for a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao showdown. Both fighters knocked out Ricky Hatton with left hooks.
Neither man completed high school in a traditional manner and have managed to rise from an impoverished beginning to become the faces of the sport. These two have one other thing in common and that is through hard work and dedication anything is possible. Enjoy the fight!!!
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