Occasionally in Boxing we are lucky enough to witness a generation defining contest, a contest that transcends the level of importance associated with even the biggest of title fights. These fights are of such a weight that their magnitude reverberates in the realms of civilisation for decades to come.
La Motta v Robinson, Ali v Foreman, Ali v Frazier, Hagler v Hearns, all of these fights live outside the category of boxing matches, they belong in the pantheon of legendary sporting events. If Pacquaio and Mayweather masses were to collide it would be the greatest boxing event of the last 20 years and one of the greatest sporting events of the decade.
Pacquiao is a noble and humble champion, fearless and determined, he represents the people. Mayweather is undoubtedly the most skillful boxer of our generation, slick and flashy, he is the epitome of a modern number one athlete.
Let's hope 2009 is the year in which these two figures write another sporting epic in the sqaure ring.
i want to see it- and i also feel its probably the most important fight of this decade
i even feel it would probably be the most important boxing match of my lifetime..that is how big this event will become
true and no one outside the u.s. boxing world will care either. Boxing just aint what it use to be back in the days.
I strongly disagree, both of these fighters have beaten Ricky Hatton which has dramatically increased their UK interest. Couple that with the large Pinoy population in UK and Ireland and you have an event that will do decent PPV numbers.
As the title of the thread read, "Do you understand how important" this fight is? Evidently a lot of people on here do not.
While Maweather vs Pacquiao would be a great fight no one outside of the boxing world in the UK will care about it to be honest which is a shame. true and no one outside the u.s. boxing world will care either. Boxing just aint what it use to be back in the days.
I truly hope so! I just think Arum is poison in this match-up.
It's true, Mayweather and Arum's relationship is strained to stay the least, however their differences would be put aside in order to make the dollars. Everyone knows Floyd's attitdue, if it makes money, it makes sense.
you look pretty stupid now dont you. wont get past the top 10 hahahahhahaaaa clown
There are more out there who's butthurt when Ricky fell like a timber...
pac isn't going to get by hatton..that's truth...pac wouldn't get by the bottom ten at 140 let alone the top 5.
he is a crude boxer who had a dead man infront of him in oscar. everybody who knows boxing knows pac isn't that good.
hatton will starch him so no floyd fight.
you look pretty stupid now dont you. wont get past the top 10 hahahahhahaaaa clown
Occasionally in Boxing we are lucky enough to witness a generation defining contest, a contest that transcends the level of importance associated with even the biggest of title fights. These fights are of such a weight that their magnitude reverberates in the realms of civilisation for decades to come.
La Motta v Robinson, Ali v Foreman, Ali v Frazier, Hagler v Hearns, all of these fights live outside the category of boxing matches, they belong in the pantheon of legendary sporting events. If Pacquaio and Mayweather masses were to collide it would be the greatest boxing event of the last 20 years and one of the greatest sporting events of the decade.
Pacquiao is a noble and humble champion, fearless and determined, he represents the people. Mayweather is undoubtedly the most skillful boxer of our generation, slick and flashy, he is the epitome of a modern number one athlete.
Let's hope 2009 is the year in which these two figures write another sporting epic in the sqaure ring.
** Epic try at trying to drum up a good fight, but Floydy don't have the style to make epic fights.
Slick, yes, flashy, only in lifestyle, not in the ring. Guy is booed in his own hometown. The most skillful is arguable in his era. It's debatable whether he was the people's choice for p4p #1 for the brief time he held the Ring title.
The major importance Manny has is as an Asian cultural icon. He and Floydy are little fellas who don't really register with average western fans. Manny/Oscar had a pretty fair build up like Oscar/Floydy before it, but the fights were anticlimatic, not epic.
I'd put forth Tyson/Lewis as a more defining fight as far as anticipation with Tito/Oscar undefeated clash and Roy/Ruiz next. These fights turned out to be anticlimatic also.
The only fight you listed that was epic in the build up and fight itself and "transcends the level of importance associated with even the biggest of title fights" was Ali/Frazier 1.
Ali was considered shot for Foreman and not many paying attention though the fight was epic. Hagler/Hearns was a battle of minor legends that turned out an epic classic. Don't recall LaMotta/Robby being any more than a good typical Robby matchup up. The series was epic in nature for the legend of Robby, but the fights were someone one sided save the first. None of these really transcended the sport.
Jeffries/Johnson and Schmeling/Louis 2 huge era fights that transcended the sport even if both fights were anticlimatic.
The only fighter capable of producing a truly epic fight as you describe is Oscar, and he fell a little short, though in an economic sense, he fits the bill as he transcended the economics of boxing.
Now, if Valuev is released from the cuffs he's been locked in and goes on a tear like he showed against Monte Barrett for 3-4 fights, the Russian/Ukrainian rivalry would make him against a Klitschko a truly epic fight build up.
The way I see it, this fight is all for Mayweather's benefit as far as status/prestige and respect is concerned because Pacquiao doesn't need to prove anything anymore; Pacquiao has already achieved respectability by being the best fighter to come out of Asia, climbing all the way from flyweight to welter, fighting the bests along the way to achieve that feat. It is Mayweather who needs a believable challenge to solidify his own claim to ATG status.
Floyd is just waiting for that opportunity and a particular type of fighter that he thinks he'd look good beating, he certainly won't gamble his unbeaten streak against the elites of his own division like Margarito, Williams and even Cotto. He needs a winnable fight for which to get respect from mainstream fans, something that has eluded him because of his "cowardly" style. Pacquiao is smaller, as Pacquiao can still go comfortable down to 135 if he chooses to and Mayweather can't; gives an inch in height and a couple of inches in reach; has not had that much fight experience in the junior welter/welterweight divisions; has the name and the accomplishment that would be a perfect centerpiece to any dull resume; has legions of fans; and lastly can bring in the money.
Americans have not had an ATG in the lower weights for quite a while now, I hope this is not another way for them to "decision win" their way into the record books by making a a dull fighter look great by winning over a smaller opponent. If Pacquiao wins or loses, it changes little to his already impressive resume, while Floyd winning gives history a reason to give respect to a cowardly boxer that doesn't deserve any IMO.
:thumbsdow
Your opinions are stupid, your hatred towards Floyd makes your whole judgement and posts about him become invalid... There's guys on here that dislike Floyd, but have enough boxing sense to give him credit when its due...
A Floyd vs Pacquiao fight is the fight the REAL boxing fans want to see in 2009.
The way I see it, this fight is all for Mayweather's benefit as far as status/prestige and respect is concerned because Pacquiao doesn't need to prove anything anymore; Pacquiao has already achieved respectability by being the best fighter to come out of Asia, climbing all the way from flyweight to welter, fighting the bests along the way to achieve that feat. It is Mayweather who needs a believable challenge to solidify his own claim to ATG status.
Floyd is just waiting for that opportunity and a particular type of fighter that he thinks he'd look good beating, he certainly won't gamble his unbeaten streak against the elites of his own division like Margarito, Williams and even Cotto. He needs a winnable fight for which to get respect from mainstream fans, something that has eluded him because of his "cowardly" style. Pacquiao is smaller, as Pacquiao can still go comfortable down to 135 if he chooses to and Mayweather can't; gives an inch in height and a couple of inches in reach; has not had that much fight experience in the junior welter/welterweight divisions; has the name and the accomplishment that would be a perfect centerpiece to any dull resume; has legions of fans; and lastly can bring in the money.
Americans have not had an ATG in the lower weights for quite a while now, I hope this is not another way for them to "decision win" their way into the record books by making a a dull fighter look great by winning over a smaller opponent. If Pacquiao wins or loses, it changes little to his already impressive resume, while Floyd winning gives history a reason to give respect to a cowardly boxer that doesn't deserve any IMO.
:thumbsdow
it would be like sweet pea vs duran at their prime, this is a potential great fight, 2 HOF fighters with the winner staking a strong claim for becoming an ATG.
so what if hatton doesn't get the match-up with pacman, i agree that the pacman vs mayweather fight wont be big in the UK but speaking from a pure bboxing point of view i really couldn't care less.
Pacquiao is already ATG material with or without this match.
pac isn't going to get by hatton..that's truth...pac wouldn't get by the bottom ten at 140 let alone the top 5.
he is a crude boxer who had a dead man infront of him in oscar. everybody who knows boxing knows pac isn't that good.
hatton will starch him so no floyd fight.
Maybe, but I hope Pacquiao does manage to get by Hatton because I want Floyd to be one to expose him. It would be total physical domination.
This is the fight of 2009 that we as fight fans all want...
Real boxing fans want to see this fight... Like ive said on many occasions, the fans over here in the UK are ONLY fans WHEN a British fighter is fighting, which shows their ignorance towards the sport.
This is the fight we all want to see... One good thing about DLH is that he opened up doors to a whole lot of new intersting matches, because he fought Pacquiao.
That's bullshit. That just shows your own ignorance towards the British fight fans of this country.
I actually find it quite insulting.
17y ago
Do you understand how important Mayweather vs Pacquiao is? | BoxingScene Community