Boxing is a niche sport. In general, fights come and go and the world continues to turn unperturbed. And then the Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather fight comes along and suddenly everybody has an opinion on who will win. It has not only been dubbed the “fight of the century”, but also called the “richest fight of all time”. You might not care about boxing, but there comes a time when sport transcends everything else (like the 2010 World Cup) and this fight will have the entire world talking. This is why:
Fight Of The Century
When we talk about a fight of the century in boxing terms, it means just that. It may seem to be far-fetched and, in some cases, too ambitious, but in this case, that notion is right. This is indeed the fight of the century. Well, at least so far, we are only 15 years into it. Perhaps the first match-up to be labelled “fight of the century” was between Jack Johnson and James Jeffries in 1910. Johnson was the first black heavyweight champion, while Jeffries symbolically stood for white American supremacy. When Johnson won, 20 people died in the riots that followed as the police tried to subdue the celebrations of black Americans. Another fight that comes to mind is the Rumble in the Jungle when Muhammad Ali met George Foreman in the DRC in 1974. That remains one of Ali’s biggest moments and books and films ever since have been retelling the story of that iconic match.
Richest Fight Of All Time
About $300 million (R3.6 billion) has been put up for the Mayweather vs Pacquiao match, making it the most rewarding fight of all time. Pacquiao’s boxing shorts alone will be worth $2.25m, while Mayweather, who is nicknamed Money, will get 60 percent of the prize money. When he came to South Africa, Money was unsure if he’d fight Pacquiao because he felt it was more a matter of helping the boxer with his money problems. Good thing he changed his mind.
Celeb Factor
Celebrities have long been associated with boxing. Rapper Tupac was killed after leaving a Mike Tyson match. In this case, too, the celeb culture is divided on who they want to win his fight. We have seen Justin Bieber and Lil’ Wayne get in the ring with Mayweather in the past and it will be no surprise if they turn up to support him on the night. Then there are the celebs Mayweather has had fights with in the past like T.I and Nelly, who will probably relish the idea of him losing. In Pacquiao’s corner will be people like Sylvester Stallone, NBA star Steph Curry, Mario Lopez and Mark Wahlberg. All these celebs under one roof adds to the sense of occasion.
Anticipation
Thanks to the fact that Mayweather dragged his feet over the years, this bout has to be the most anticipated of our time. He has never lost a fight and is nearing retirement. The boxing gurus feel that if anyone is capable of taking him down, it is Pacquiao and this explains why he was reluctant to fight him in the past. Another school of thought is that Pacquiao is past his peak and that Mayweather should prevail on the night. But, a win for either fighter will serve as the highlight of their career and, for Mayweather in particular, it will be a fitting way to sign off on what has been a very successful career. The clash of styles and personalities makes for an intriguing fight.
So who will you bet on?
• Mayweather vs Pacquiao, Supersport 7 (Dstv channel 207) on May 3 from 3am.