Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. may never get around to fighting. This pair has already managed to burn through their prime years without giving fans the one bout they’ve been begging for since 2008, so it wouldn’t be all that shocking if a Dream Match never actually materialized.
As it stands, best case scenario, if we do get a showdown between these two, it’d be a showdown featuring two all-time greats who are on a rapid decline in terms of skill. To say that over their last two bouts neither Pacquiao nor his undefeated counterpart have had much to brag about would probably be an understatement.
The Filipino champ barely beat Juan Manuel Marquez last November, then he followed that up with a match versus Timothy Bradley that he obviously won (just not officially), but in which he was unable to floor his clearly overwhelmed opponent.
Mayweather didn’t fare much better in his last two wins. He very easily could have lost his May 5 showdown against Miguel Cotto, and he needed a sucker punch to take down Victor Ortiz last September.
Both of these guys’ stocks are in decline and, at this point, the demand for their superfight is more a byproduct of there being no other mainstream stars worth watching than anything either brings to the table.
Recently, Oscar De La Hoya sat down with NBC Sports Network and discussed what a potential Pacquiao-Mayweather bout might look like. Here is what he had to say (via Boxing Scene):
“We’ve worked with Mayweather now for the last six of his fights,” De La Hoya said. “Great fighter, great athlete, great reflexes.
“I think stylistically, Mayweather has the upper hand because of the fact that he’s faster and that he’s more precise. Pacquiao, he’s a machine. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a tremendous fighter. It would be a tremendous fight. But I would give the edge to Mayweather.”
Is he right? Partially. Mayweather’s defense-oriented style coupled with Pacquiao not being a knockout threat would theoretically point to the undefeated champ having an advantage. Then again, it remains to be seen how quick and athletic the 35-year-old Mayweather will be when he emerges from prison. (Speed is an integral part of his defense-based approach.)
For what it’s worth: Vegas has had Mayweather as the favorite to beat Pacquiao ever since talks began.
(Kudos Boxing Scene)
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