Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao: All You Need To Know About The Fight of the Century.
This is an upcoming boxing match between eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao and undefeated, five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Despite predictions that Mayweather–Pacquiao would be the highest grossing fight in history as early as 2009, disagreements between the two boxers’ camps on terms for the fight prevented the bout from coming to fruition until 2015. However, negotiations for the superfight in 2015 have since been finalized, with all of the major issues that have prevented the fight from happening in the past now resolved, including purse split, drug testing, and location of the bout.
The Fighters
Undefeated and 11-time world champion Floyd Mayweather, 38, will carry a 47-0 record with 26 knockouts into the ring against 36-year-old Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) of the Philippines. Pacquiao has a side job as a Congressman in the Philippines. Mayweather was ranked by Forbes as the world’s highest-paid athlete at $105 million last year.
L-R: Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather
At Stake
Mayweather’s WBC welterweight and WBA super welterweight titles will be on the line, along with Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight crown. More importantly, the winner will be viewed as the best boxer of his era.
Schedule
Mayweather will make his grand arrival at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Pacquiao will skip the hoopla and settle into the Mandalay Bay, his usual Las Vegas residence. They’ll meet face-to-face at the formal press conference set for 4 p.m. Wednesday with the weigh-in at 3 p.m. Friday. PPV telecast begins at 9 p.m. on Saturday. Expect the main event to begin around 11 p.m.
Trainers
Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. should have their own reality series. Roach is the more decorated, recently winning his seventh Trainer of the Year Award from the BWAA. He’s a master at devising game plans and has longed for a chance to be the first to defeat Mayweather Jr. Floyd Sr. and uncle Roger Mayweather have molded Floyd Jr. into the pound-for-pound champion he is. In this case, two heads may be better than one.
Venue
The MGM Grand Garden Arena will be scaled to seat close to 17,000. It has become what Caesars Palace once was to boxing and is home turf for Mayweather, who has staged his last nine fights there. This will be Pacquiao’s fifth fight at the MGM since 2011.
Referee
Modal Trigger Referee Kenny Bayless gives Robert Guerrero a count March 7.Photo: AP
Kenny Bayless has been the third man in the ring for seven of Pacquiao’s previous bouts, including his knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012 and his comeback win over Tim Bradley in 2014. Bayless has called five Mayweather fights, including his September rematch with Marcos Maidana. Bayless, 64, is known for his catch phrase: “What I Say You Must Obey.” His strong presence is perfect for this bout.
Judges
Burt A. Clements, Dave Moretti and Glenn Feldman will score the fight. Clements, 62, is from Reno, Nev., and called Mayweather’s first fight against Maidana, giving Mayweather a 117-111 edge in the majority decision. Moretti, 70, of Las Vegas, is the most accomplished of the group, having scored fights involving George Foreman, Larry Holmes, and Evander Holyfield. He likes punchers. Feldman, from Avon, Conn., has been a judge since 1992. He scored Andy Lee’s fight with Peter Quillin a draw April 11 at Barclays.
Drug Testing
Both fighters agreed to undergo random drug testing of blood and urine by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. A positive test could result in not only canceling the fight, but a four-year ban from competition.
Promoters
Mayweather Promotions is the lead promoter of the event and in charge of press conferences and other events. Pacquiao’s promotional company, Top Rank, has vastly more experience and an established infrastructure for staging big PPV events, but had to defer to Mayweather Promotions in order to make the fight happen.
The Broadcast
PPV will cost $89 for standard definition and $99 for high definition. HBO and Showtime are partnering on the telecast with Showtime in charge of the majority of the production. Jim Lampley (HBO), Al Bernstein (Showtime) and Roy Jones (HBO) will call the bout from ringside. Max Kellerman (HBO) will cover Pacquiao’s locker room, while Jim Gray (Showtime) will handle Mayweather. James Brown and Paulie Malignaggi of Showtime will serve as the pre-fight hosts.
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