By Jake Donovan
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio are in the final stages of preparation for their upcoming May 2 superfight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Given the circus-like atmosphere that has surrounded the event – from the five-plus years of waiting for it to happen, to the manner in which it came together, to the bizarre details surrounding tickets and closed circuit seating – it has truly dominated headlines from the moment it was believed to be – and eventually became – a reality.
Both fighters have routinely starred in the biggest fights that boxing has had to offer over the past eight or so years. Each saw their career soar to new heights following wins over Oscar de la Hoya, the last big box office attraction in the sport. Now with their head-on collision comes the opportunity to destroy all revenue records, including the record fight purses to be collected with their splitting a guaranteed $200 million pot in addition to financial upside to be gained.
Far be it from either fighter to treat it as anything larger than life, however. Mayweather in particular heads into May 2 with the sense that he’s done this all before – and has, given that he was the winning fighter in the two most lucrative fights in boxing history (wins over de la Hoya in May ‘07 and Saul ‘Canelo Alvarez in Sept. ’13).
“I’m not going crazy. It’s just a fight to me,” Mayweather (47-0, 26KOs) insisted during a recent media conference call. “I know it’s the biggest fight in boxing history but I can’t approach it like that. I’m not going to put any unnecessary pressure on me.
“I like to approach the fight like Manny Pacquiao is a very good fighter who’s extremely talented. My thing is to just be Floyd Mayweather.”
In Mayweather’s mind it should be enough to leave the same way he came in – undefeated, still welterweight king and the leading box office attraction, as he stands to earn a guaranteed $120 million, plus a heck of a lot more from the financial upside to be gained with the event.
Pacquiao – who will make a guaranteed $80 million and figures to top out at well over $100 million - is the betting underdog but the overwhelming sentimental favorite, riding a three fight win streak including a six-knockdown, 12-round shutout of previously unbeaten Chris Algieri last November.
Mayweather comes in having beaten Marcos Maidana last September, his second win in as many fights with the Argentine brawler. The bout was less competitive – and thrilling – than their first fight last May, in which Maidana pushed Mayweather to the brink only to come up just short on the cards.
The close call with Maidana came eight months after Mayweather was forced to settle for a majority decision in an otherwise dominant performance over Alvarez. The moral of the story is that anything can happen on any given night, which is what Mayweather is prepared for on May 2.
“People ask how this fight will be fought. I’m not psychic. I can’t predict the future. I just know I’m going to be at my best on May 2.”
The event will air live on Pay-Per-View, in a rare joint venture between HBO and Showtime.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
