By Ronnie Nathanielsz

NOW that undefeated pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. has signed the contract to fight eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 2 in what Top Rank promoter Bob Arum describes as “the biggest fight in history,” the talk is shifting to which fighter has the edge.

Arum told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard/Viva Sports not long after Mayweather announced the fight as agreed upon during his meeting with Pacquiao at his hotel suite in Miami, Florida after an initial face-to-face meeting at halftime  of the Miami Heat-Milwaukee Bucks game, that he is looking forward to a Pacquiao victory.

“I am more confident now that Pacquiao would triumph,” said Arum.

However, Arum said he was displeased with the manner in which the Philippine press handled the stories leading up to the final deal. “We got no help from the Philippine press who interfered with the negotiations,” said Arum, who didn’t elaborate.

Pacquiao’s longtime adviser Michael Koncz, who informed us that Mayweather had officially announced the fight in a Friday text message, said in a telephone conversation as he was packing his bags to fly back to Manila after tying up some loose ends, that he was “very thankful and grateful to all those who helped make the fight possible. Nothing is easy when you deal with a fight of this nature. I tip my hat off to Floyd.”

Koncz added: “The turning point was when they met for the first time eye to eye in Miami. It was a long hard road, but now, fight fans will be able to judge who is the best (between Pacquiao and Mayweather).”

He revealed that Pacquiao knew all along that the fight would be done and promised that boxing fans “will see a different Manny Pacquiao and will enjoy a tremendous fight.”

Arum said there will be no press tour, but one news conference in Los Angeles before Pacquiao begins training at the Wild Card Gym on March 9 after celebrated trainer Freddie Roach returns from Macau, where he will work the corner of China’s two-time Olympic gold medaist Zou Shiming in his International Boxing Federation title fight against Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng on March 7.

"This fight took about five or six years of negotiations, arguing, egos getting in the way before it finally came to fruition," Arum said to ABS-CBN. "It's the biggest fight by far in years in the sport of boxing, so I equate this to five or six years of Super Bowls all wrapped up in one fight on May 2."

"They'll have almost two months of training for the fight, which is even more than Manny puts in. Manny will be in terrific shape for the fight. I'm sure Floyd will be as well."

Pacquiao himself was excited, but proper in his remarks saying: “I am very happy that Floyd and I can give the fans the fight they have wanted for so many years.

On the other hand, Mayweather said: “I am glad my decision to meet with Manny and discuss making the fight happen helped get this deal done.”   

The World Boxing Council, headed by its president Mauricio Sulaiman, welcomed the decision of both Mayweather and Pacquiao to get the fight done.

“Almost 6 years after people started talking about it, it’s finally here, It has become a reality! A historical chapter for boxing; this encounter is one of the most attractive events within the boxing fans throughout all of the world and will probably be the most grossing battle in the history of boxing,” the WBC said in a statement.

Both fighters have decided to bring everything and their corners say that the so called Fight of the Century will end in a knockout.