Pacquiao v. Mayweather: Great fighter v. Great boxer

By Boxing News - 04/22/2015 - Comments

Mayweather vs Pacquiao SUPERFIGHTBy Mark Vane: Manny Pacquiao has been in some phenomenal fights during his 20-year pro career; fights where he beat guys up, fights where he’s been beat up, but without a doubt, he’s been in some amazing and memorable fights. Because of the entertainment value of these great fights, we consider him a great fighter with exceptional boxing skill.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been the far superior boxer in every boxing match he has participated in. He’s been so good that he has avoided turning any boxing match in to a fight. His one-sided strategic dominance lacks all the entertainment value of a great fight. He has not been in any real amazing or memorable fights, but he has consistently put on timeless displays of boxing brilliance.

Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s not hard to enjoy a great fight, but to appreciate a skilled boxing match, you have to be a true boxing fan. Not just a fan of a good fight, but a fan of boxing.

To enjoy a good fight, all you have to do is have been angry a few times in your life. Then it’s easy to unlock the savage joy of watching people get beat up. It’s not hard to appreciate a Pacquiao fight. There is always a lot of someone getting beaten up happening.

To enjoy what Floyd does in the ring, you have to genuinely appreciate the sport of boxing. You have to admire, reflexes, distance, ring generalship, defense, timing, angles and a bunch of other stuff that has nothing to do with punching and getting punched.

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If Pacquiao was as skilled defensively and offensively as Mayweather, he probably wouldn’t have been in as many great fights, but he still would be a great fighter.

If Mayweather wasn’t as skilled as he is, he would probably have a lot more fans. Because he would have had to rely on more fighting than he has in his career.

But just because a guy has had more entertaining fights, just because you have enjoyed the entertainment value of the viciousness of fighting, doesn’t mean a guy is a better boxer.

Love Paquiao because he is a great fighter that has entertained you with some amazing fights, while displaying great boxing skill.

Dislike Mayweather because he has not satisfied your preference for types of fights you enjoy watching.

Dislike Mayweather because of his character outside the ring.

But to discredit Mayweather’s boxing mastery, is to reveal a genuine ignorance of the sport and a lack of appreciation of the science and art of boxing.

The more you are a genuine fan of the “sweet science” we call boxing. The more you could careless about Floyd the person and the more you are in awe of the talent of Floyd the fighter in the gym and the ring.

When we cheer for men to beat each other unconscious. When we do this for entertainment value. When we allow for people who come from the most socially and/or economically deprived communities to view this activity as a means of earning a living, for our sole entertainment pleasure, let’s leave the moral high-horse in the stable.

There is nothing moralistic about boxing. When you cheer for men to be beaten unconscious, but you question the character of those men, you have a very narrow scope on your lens of morality. You take pleasure in watching people get knocked unconscious and you question a man’s character?

Floyd the fighter, say what you want about him, but do not deny his mastery over the science of boxing because you ride a moral high-horse or you are entertained by blood and guts fights!



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