By Carlos Boogs

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has promised to do whatever it takes to beat WBC/WBA champion fight Floyd Mayweather. The eagerly-anticipated May 2 welterweight unification showdown in Las Vegas promises to be the most lucrative fight in boxing history. Pacquiao says that is why he is training harder and with more drive and determination than for any other fight in his career.

Mayweather is the betting favorite to win and most insiders are selecting him to come out on top.

Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum says Pacquiao is making the same promises to him that he made back in 2008, when the Filipino star moved up by two weight divisions to go up against Oscar De La Hoya. Pacquiao was a huge underdog in the contest and instead battered and stopped De La Hoya.

"People thought Manny was going to get killed," Arum said. "I ended up spending the promotion of the fight defending myself. People were saying, 'You money-hungry son of a gun, you're putting him in this fight to get killed.'

"It's impossible to defend yourself. But I knew that Manny felt not only was he competitive with Oscar, but he would beat Oscar. He was telling me all along, 'Bob, don't worry. I'm going to come through for you. You're not going to be embarrassed. I'm going to beat him.'  And that's what he's saying now. That's what I'm getting from him now."