The entire boxing world is looking forward to May 2nd, when welterweight kingpins Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao collide at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
This past Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City, several boxing personalities had opinions on the big matchup.
Promoter/manager Shelly Finkel said he thought the fight would be tougher than many think.
"I believe Mayweather will win because he's just a better fighter," Finkel said. "But this is not going to be easy. Pacquiao is coming to fight. He has to. His whole country depends on it."
Iran Barkley, the former world middleweight, super-middleweight and light-heavyweight champion, also picked Mayweather.
"Floyd is the mecca of boxing right now," he said.
"I see it as a big fight like Sugar Ray Leonard and (Roberto) Duran in the years of 'No Mas'. Both of these guys are going to put on a tremendous fight. But my man Floyd is going to be victorious."
Gary Shaw, promoter of losing heavyweight challenger Jennings, said Pacquiao's attitude would be key.
"Depends which Pacquiao comes," Shaw said. "If it's the real religious Pacquiao that comes in and doesn't have the killer instinct he had years ago, I don't think he has a chance.
"If he goes in and takes Mayweather into a street fight, maybe he hits him low, gets a point taken away, pushes him...
"I remember (Evander) Holyfield telling me the night before he went in the ring with (Mike) Tyson, 'I'm going to push him into the ropes. If he hits me once, I'm going to hit him twice. If he pushes me once, I'm going to push him twice.'"
Former undisputed heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis joked about the gravity of the welterweight showdown.
"Only heavyweight fights are the 'Fights of the Century'," he said, with a nod to indelible moments produced by the likes of Louis and Muhammad Ali.
"But I'm going to be watching it. I'm trying to get some tickets."
