By Tom Drury: This article will be my final say on these two modern day greats. The hope of these fighters exchanging leather is rapidly fading. Boxing fans have lived in hope since 2009 of this fight been made, but we have been denied time and time again due to unrealistic demands, refusals to meet demands and relationships between fighters and promoters.
The main focus of this article is based on neither of these future hall of fame fighters getting the props they deserve. Due to the huge followings these fighters have, and the rivalry between them, it is clear that fans forget what these men have brought to the sport of boxing. They have given there lives to the sport we love.
Floyd Mayweather is loved and hated for the same reasons – his brashness, trash talking, flashy lifestyle, arrogance that is rarely seen in a man and of course his undeniable skill and ability in the ring. Pacquiao is loved due to his humble personality, generosity, compassion and his ferocious war like fighting style within the squared circle. Which ever fighter and personality appeals to you as fans it must not be forgot these two men are unique and have dedicated there life to providing entertainment to the general public and die hard fight fans.
Mayweather is 43-0 and that statistic in itself is an amazing achievement. I as many others am a die hard fan of the sport, not a fighter so I can’t question this achievement. What I can do is give my thoughts as I see them. Mayweather is a shrewd businessman and his intelligence inside and outside the ring is undeniable. His career has been carefully constructed and planned by himself and a fantastic team he surrounds himself with. Mayweather should receive utmost respect for many wins of his career. Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Victor Ortiz and Shane Mosley where he came back from adversity to totally outclass him. But he will also be remembered for certain fighters he failed to fight and the timing of other fights, namely he failed to fight Carlos Baldomir. He instead opted to fight Zab “Super” Judah who lost to Baldomir. He also failed to fight Antonio Margarito and fought Juan “El Dynamita” Marquez at a catchweight, just to name a few. I am not and cant take anything away from Mayweather. I admire his fight game, love his ability to sell a fight and always buy his ppv. I am just stating facts.
Manny Pacquiao, while having losses on his resume, in my mind also has a fantastic legacy due to the magnitude and quality of fighters he has faced, Mexican legends, Marco Antonio Barrera, Marquez and Erik Morales and demolition jobs of De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Cotto and Margarito. Pacquiao has been guilty of fighting at catchweights and selective timing of engaging with certain fighters.
Pacquiao of late has had publicized problems with his marriage and time consuming responsibilities with his political responsibilities in his native Philippines, but hw did seem back to his best in his most recent fight with “El Dynamita” before being caught by a pinpoint, devastating straight right hand by the Mexican legend. Pacquiao wasn’t impressive in three of his most recent fights, namely against Mosley, Bradley and Marquez 3. I have no explanation for this, because only the fighter himself knows. What I do know is before those encounters Pacquiao gave vintage, attacking, exciting performances leaving nothing inside the ring and producing fights that history will always remember.
Both these fighters are without question the best fighters of an era, one a boxing genius the other a ferocious fighter. Both are entitled to the utmost admiration. There are many great fighters in our sport and some fantastic prospects out on the fringes waiting for the opportunity to break through. Pacquiao and Mayweather have been the faces of boxing for many years and without them we as fans wouldn’t have had the chance to witness history making fights, controversies, memorable press conferences and rivalries. The excitement and popularity of these men is undeniable. It is true a fight between these two greats has lost momentum but to say it wouldn’t be a spectacle is ridiculous. Pacquiao and Mayweather need to forget about there differences and fight each other before they are well and truly over the hill. They would both make untold millions in that fight and produce an event that will be remembered by the world not just the boxing fraternity.
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