By Edward Chaykovsky

Less than two weeks remain before Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will step in the ring to face each other on May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. They will battle for the WBO/WBA/IBF welterweight championships. The WBC will also have a special emerald belt present for the contest.

The two fighters have held one particular advantage over every single opponent - speed. Both fighters were much faster than their opponents.

We will soon find out which of them is actually faster.

Former HBO expert analyst Larry Merchant sees speed as the biggest factor in the fight, because of the two fighters will realize for the first time that he is not the faster man and then has to dig deep for something else in his arsenal.

“The one factor in this fight is speed,” said Merchant to the LA Daily News. “Each man has been the faster man in each fight. At some point in this fight, one will realize he isn’t the faster man anymore. So what happens then?”