This might not be the biggest boxing bout in history but it is surely the biggest pay night in boxing history, Boxing has lost its glitz and glamour, this fight- Mayweather versus Pacquiao has done well to uplift boxing from its slumber. The outcome is too close to call but these is what other boxing greats think:
Sugar Ray Leonard – five-weight world champion
“Mayweather has a couple of ways to win the fight: as a counter-puncher, wait for Pacquiao to make mistakes and make him pay for those mistakes; or just box him, dance around, do what he does best. He’s a little bit more versatile than Pacquiao.
“As for Pacquiao, if he can be the man who beat Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto, we’re talking about a very interesting, physical fight. “I think there will be a couple of surprises for the fans, in terms of knockdowns. But there could be dominance from Mayweather.”
Mike Tyson – former heavyweight world champion
“Floyd can’t fight the way he’s been fighting if he wants to beat Pacquiao. He has to go forward and throw punches. “Pacquiao throws over 100 punches a round. Floyd, in his last fight, threw 38 punches a round.
“Mayweather can’t be on the ropes against a guy like Pacquiao. It’s not going to work out. I think that it’s going to be a great fight. “I like Pacquiao, although I’m not saying Floyd can’t win. But he’s got to change the way he’s been fighting.”
George Foreman- former heavyweight world champion
“It’s going to go to the end because they’ll be so careful. Pacquiao understands that he could get knocked out and Mayweather will be thinking: ‘Pacquiao has knocked out a lot of guys.’
“Mayweather is a defensive genius. But he’s not an offensive machine. So I think Pacquiao will win. He’s smart and he’s the underdog – he’ll feel the crowd pulling for him. I’ve got a feeling he can win it by one round.”
Oscar De La Hoya – six-weight world champion, lost to both
“There are two scenarios: Pacquiao can push the pace and make Floyd fight. If he’s in great shape, it can be an exciting fight; or Mayweather can figure him out and box him the whole night and have an easy win. He’s going to fight in spurts and put the rounds in the bag. Nothing is going to change.
“The question is, can Pacquiao keep his composure and focus in the ring? He’s going to have trouble hitting Floyd, so he has to stay calm and not get frustrated. He’s going to throw five and six-punch combinations and maybe only one punch is going to land. If he gets frustrated, Mayweather will capitalize.”
Bernard Hopkins – former two-weight world champion
“A turtle is only vulnerable when he sticks his head out – when he senses danger, he goes back into that shell. You can beat that shell up, but you’re not hurting him. Pacquiao has to trick Mayweather out of that shell, make him think he’s there for the counter. When he’s not – ‘bang’ – capitalize on his mistake.
“Pacquiao has to make Floyd become the aggressor, something he’s not comfortable with. He has to make Floyd bring the fight to him, let his hands go while Manny’s letting his hands go and see who lands first. That’s fun for us.
“Counter-punchers aren’t good at catching up, we wait for you to come knocking at the door, we don’t come to you. So counter-punchers need their opponents to be aggressive and then take advantage of slow feet and slow hands. It won’t be a landslide win for Mayweather, it will be a hard-earned win. ”
