In every sport, there are match-ups that all fans, both casual and die-hard, constantly anticipate. In basketball, there’s the Laker-Celtics rivalry; in baseball, the Red Sox-Yankees games draw crowds; and in the tennis world, the match-ups between Rafael Nadal and Rodger Federer are nail-biters. All of these competitions are waged physically in their respective arenas. In the sport of boxing, however, the rivalry between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao has only been a war of words.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is the loud mouth. Born into a family of championship boxers, he is known for having a big head and a big mouth. His attitude is only amplified by an estimated $200 million in earnings and an unbeaten record through 42 fights. Mayweather is known for his smooth, fast boxing style. He is considered the modern-day Muhammad Ali, except he boasts a lot more money.
If Mayweather is Ali, then Pacquiao is Frazier. He is the constant recipient of Mayweather’s insults and challenges. The quiet, methodical pugilist is an idol in his native Philippines, as noted through his #1 albums and his seat in the southeast Asian country’s House of Representatives. When he enters the ring, Pacquiao becomes an entirely different animal. It is through his powerful and quick style that he has maintained a record with only three losses through 59 fights.
The two rivals, however, have never actually fought. There’s been a multitude of reasons preventing a tumble, from a disagreement on steroid testing to false reports of fights, which have had negative effects for both men.
In mid-January, Mayweather challenged his Filipino competitor to “stop being a punk” and “give the world the fight they want.” From there the two groups entered into negotiations. Nevertheless, it was again a flirtatious boast, with Mayweather announcing on February 1 that he will be taking on Miguel Cotto on May 5, a month before he will be serving a 90-day jail sentence.
Today’s obstacle? Money. Top-name boxers are easily the world’s best-paid athletes because in addition to a purse they receive for fighting, they are also able to take a percentage of the pay-per-view revenue. With Pacquiao and Mayweather currently averaging 1 million viewers per fight, they could have easily made a small fortune on what could be the biggest boxing match in 40 years. Unfortunately, the two men and their entourages could not agree on what an even split of PPV revenue meant. In other words, who was the biggest draw, the Pac-Man or the Pretty Boy?
Still, they will not fight. The world will have to wait another year for what has been billed as the fight of the century. Just like with Frazier and Ali, it will break records. More importantly, however, fans will finally be able to have an answer to the barbershop talk, or if anything a new reason to debate.
