Opinion: Is the fight 5 Years Too Late or Right On Time!

[caldo2025]

I'm already sick of the response "yeah, but I wish they fought 5 years ago". IMO, this fight is right on time and going to be way better than it would have been 5 years ago. Aside from Chicago Cubs fans waiting for a Championship, can you think of another sporting event that we've prayed five years for? I can't. Nothing even comes close. So i'm saying it's right on course and it's going to be THE biggest sporting event in our lifetime. This is our Ali/Frazier that our Grandfathers bragged about. This fight will be flooded with more stars than the Academy Awards the other night. If this fight had commercials, they'd be charging Super Bowl money for airtime. It's going to break every record that can be broken and no one will ever touch this mark. There won't be another boxing match that will match this in our lifetime.

So, you Debbie Downers out there trying squat on this fight and take a deuce, sit back and think about the gravity of this fight. Instead of complaining, think about another sporting event that will be bigger than this. There is none. So make your plans to watch the fight because you know you will, and just breathe it all in....cause' it's in your face!

[Ricky_]

In 2009 both looked unstoppable. Now Pacquiao has slowed, throws less punches & got ktfo. and Floyd is losing to Maidana and morphing into Hopkins.

The non-fight may have maxed out the "hype" and revenue potential but both guys are well past their respective primes. I guess it's testament to both however that barring Golovkin they're still the best 2 fighters in the sport by a distance. That's yrue greatness and both Floyd and Pacquiao are genuine top 30 all time greats.

[JCS]

I think the timing is perfect.

Right now, they're still near their primes.. as evidenced by their P4P status. BUT, they are now both vulnerable. Manny has had his lights put out and Floyd doesn't move nearly as much as he used to.

In 2009 (give or take) when people called for this, Mayweather would've easily taken out Pacquiao -- no question in my mind. Pacquiao was faster, but he would've been out-boxed easily. I think Floyd has lost more than Manny has as it pertains to their advantages against one another. If Floyd gets complacent, there is a high probability that he gets outworked for a decision.

[Chepppaaa]

who cares, its on. all i care.

[tiny_acres]

who cares, its on. all i care.

Yep I agree

[Badhusker]

That debate will fade, like it has for SRL vs Hagler. I think it is important for the historians to note that the reason it didn't happen earlier is because Pacquiao refused to submit to full random testing for PEDS. It wasn't gloves, purse split, ring size, etc. The public was fed with 99 excuses from Arum, and the stupid public gobbled it up. People years from now will always wonder why. His own trainer even admitted that it was their fault.

I think we should all be happy that it is actually happening, and realize that it is the biggest fight in boxing, maybe the biggest ever.

[ReggieDiggs]

It was definitely a more intriguing fight in 2009, 2010. I don't see how anyone could disagree with that. Not being a downer as I'm happy as a pig in sh!t at seeing the fight now or woulda been back in the day as I'm a boxing fan & these two guys are the faces of the sport. Just being real.

[JCS]

It was definitely a more intriguing fight in 2009, 2010. I don't see how anyone could disagree with that. Not being a downer as I'm happy as a pig in sh!t at seeing the fight now or woulda been back in the day as I'm a boxing fan & these two guys are the faces of the sport. Just being real.

I personally think Manny had no chance at that point. I think its a closer fight now and as a result, a more interesting one. To each his own.

[ReggieDiggs]

It was definitely a more intriguing fight in 2009, 2010. I don't see how anyone could disagree with that. Not being a downer as I'm happy as a pig in sh!t at seeing the fight now or woulda been back in the day as I'm a boxing fan & these two guys are the faces of the sport. Just being real.

I personally think Manny had no chance at that point. I think its a closer fight now. To each his own.

I'm not talking about it just from the pov of closeness. If thats all you're looking at I suppose it would be more debatable.

[JCS]

It was definitely a more intriguing fight in 2009, 2010. I don't see how anyone could disagree with that. Not being a downer as I'm happy as a pig in sh!t at seeing the fight now or woulda been back in the day as I'm a boxing fan & these two guys are the faces of the sport. Just being real.

I personally think Manny had no chance at that point. I think its a closer fight now. To each his own.

I'm not talking about it just from the pov of closeness. If thats all you're looking at I suppose it would be more debatable.

No one wants to see a squash match.

[BAD INTENTIONS]

I guess it's testament to both however that barring Golovkin they're still the best 2 fighters in the sport by a distance.

Manny is not better than JMM by far ...
Manny is not better than Andre Ward ...
Manny might not be better than Rigondeaux ...

[jezzamundo]

I'm already sick of the response "yeah, but I wish they fought 5 years ago". IMO, this fight is right on time and going to be way better than it would have been 5 years ago. Aside from Chicago Cubs fans waiting for a Championship, can you think of another sporting event that we've prayed five years for? I can't. Nothing even comes close. So i'm saying it's right on course and it's going to be THE biggest sporting event in our lifetime. This is our Ali/Frazier that our Grandfathers bragged about. This fight will be flooded with more stars than the Academy Awards the other night. If this fight had commercials, they'd be charging Super Bowl money for airtime. It's going to break every record that can be broken and no one will ever touch this mark. There won't be another boxing match that will match this in our lifetime.

So, you Debbie Downers out there trying squat on this fight and take a deuce, sit back and think about the gravity of this fight. Instead of complaining, think about another sporting event that will be bigger than this. There is none. So make your plans to watch the fight because you know you will, and just breathe it all in....cause' it's in your face!

I agree that it will be the biggest fight for a long, long time. Perhaps it will be as big an event as it would have been five years ago, perhaps it will be bigger, but for a hardcore boxing fan, while it's still an intriguing fight and arguably the best that can be made, it is considerably less tasty than it would have been five years ago. It is likely to be less competitive, considerably less exciting and far less likely to be a truly great fight. Think about it this way:

2010 Pacquiao:
- 31yo
- considered the P4P #1
- has had three fights at welterweight, all ending inside the distance
- one-sided stoppage over De La Hoya, brutal KO of Hatton, methodical beat-down and stoppage of Cotto
- high punch output and great stamina
- hadn't lost since dropping a decision five years earlier

2010: Mayweather:
- 33yo
- considered the P4P #2
- was the clear P4P #1 before his 21 month mini retirement
- coming off a shut-out win over Marquez, the man who gave Pacquiao all he could handle twice

2015 Pacquiao:
- 36yo
- considered P4P Top 5, some would say as high as #2 but it's not clear-cut
- has not stopped an opponent for five years
- has lost twice in recent years, once by brutal KO to Marquez who Floyd beat easily, also received a dubious decision over JMM
- reduced punch output, seems to be taking parts of rounds off to conserve his stamina

2015 Mayweather:
- 38yo
- considered the P4P #1
- has some great wins in recent years, improving his resume
- struggled to beat Marcos Maidana last year, then employed a dull, low-output style to convincingly beat him in their second outing

In summary, five years ago, I believe Pacquiao had a far greater chance of winning the fight than he does now. Both fighters are past their prime, Pacquiao in particular. Don't get me wrong, I still think it's a competitive fight and I'm exited for it, just not as excited as I would have been five years ago.

[squiggy]

I guess it's testament to both however that barring Golovkin they're still the best 2 fighters in the sport by a distance.

Manny is not better than JMM by far ...
Manny is not better than Andre Ward ...
Manny might not be better than Rigondeaux ...

Well, if you take "in the sport" to mean "actually fighting"...

[Ricky_]

I guess it's testament to both however that barring Golovkin they're still the best 2 fighters in the sport by a distance.

Manny is not better than JMM by far ...
Manny is not better than Andre Ward ...
Manny might not be better than Rigondeaux ...

[caldo2025]

The 2010 version of Floyd, would have ran the whole night, fighting in spurts. Technically, he was just unbeatable at the time. I don't really think that anyone could have beaten Floyd back then, even a Manny on steroids, if that was the case. Floyd would have won a unanimous decision and we'd all complain about the lack of action in the fight.

The 2015 version of Floyd is a more immobile fighter. Yeah, he ran a lot in the Maidana II fight that was pretty lame but Manny will catch up to him just like he caught up to that marathon runner Aligieri. I think that we are going to see a lot of toe to toe action and a lot of inside fighting with Floyd's back on the ropes. AKA A WAY BETTER FIGHT TO WATCH

Manny doesn't fight boring fights and won't get pushed into them. He will make Floyd work and god love him, he's a southpaw. And we all know Floyd hates fighting southpaws. I still have Floyd winning a decision but what if Manny actually does it? He's the best chance we've ever had to seeing Floyd run out of the ring without a post fight interview like the punk he is. 47-1

[Crease]

Undeniably it is 4/5 years too late. But there's nothing we can about that, so we'll just have to take it while we can get it.

[CheckHook]

I'm terms of legacy and significance it was a much more important fight 4 or 5 years ago. Pacquiao was tearing through the division and was the p4p #1. Floyd was coming back from a lay off and still considered by many as the true p4p king..... In terms of whether its a better fight now both guys have faded is a bit of an odd way to look at it. I always feel like the most important thing in the sport is to get the best fighting the best, as close to prime as possible. The more you do that, the more chance you have of creating legitimate classics inside the ring anyway. Personally I wanted to find out how Floyds defence coped with Manny's engine and non stop aggression when he was at his peak, not find out which one is still closer to prime. Its still a good fight, but anyone who thinks this is as significant as it was 5 years ago is kidding themselves.

[NateJR]

I don't think either fighter is at their best, but I think they've both became more vulnerable. As far as a fan friendly fight, it's more intriguing at this stage of their careers. When they were both at their peak, I feel Floyd had more of a advantage. Even then, I feel Madianas awkward/crude style was more of a issue for Floyd more so than Floyd slipping, I don't think either guys legs are gone I just feel they've both lost a bit of their reflexes like older fighters do. Even at this stage of their careers, they're 2 of the best in the sport and am hard pressed to pick anyone to beat either one of them from 140-147 (Khan being the only exception based on his speed and size), I think Floyd would fair better against the top guys at 154 than Pacquiao though (I think Alvarez would destroy Manny). Floyd still takes this clearly IMO, I still believe their styles match-up the same they've just both slightly slowed down which makes them a slightly more vulnerable to getting hit with a big shot. I would have taken the fight at any time in the past 4 or 5 years other than right after Pacquiao took that nap, Pacquiao did the right thing and took some easy fights after getting stopped and got himself back on track. Floyd has been fighting the better opposition as of recently, but Pacquiao did what he should have against over-matched opponents like Rios and Algieri.

[KBB]

In 2009 both looked unstoppable. Now Pacquiao has slowed, throws less punches & got ktfo. and Floyd is losing to Maidana and morphing into Hopkins.

The non-fight may have maxed out the "hype" and revenue potential but both guys are well past their respective primes. I guess it's testament to both however that barring Golovkin they're still the best 2 fighters in the sport by a distance. That's yrue greatness and both Floyd and Pacquiao are genuine top 30 all time greats.

Floyd beat Maidana in both fights, the 2nd one even easier than the first and he and Hopkins do not fight anything alike. Yes Manny Pacquiao should've signed the contract in 2010 and took the tests but it is obvious that he had something to hide!!

Now is not really the right time but truthfully speaking it is the only time we have left before Pacquiao takes another loss and the fight passes for good, we should've had this fight behind us years ago had it not been for the "I'm afraid of needles" excuse but that's water under the bridge now.

The reason the fight is finally happening now instead of back in 2010 is because Manny is broke, needs Mayweather for this big payday, knows he's on his way out of the sport and needs Floyd moreso than Mayweather needs him for his legacy.

[Tony1244]

I'm already sick of the response "yeah, but I wish they fought 5 years ago". IMO, this fight is right on time and going to be way better than it would have been 5 years ago. Aside from Chicago Cubs fans waiting for a Championship, can you think of another sporting event that we've prayed five years for? I can't. Nothing even comes close. So i'm saying it's right on course and it's going to be THE biggest sporting event in our lifetime. This is our Ali/Frazier that our Grandfathers bragged about. This fight will be flooded with more stars than the Academy Awards the other night. If this fight had commercials, they'd be charging Super Bowl money for airtime. It's going to break every record that can be broken and no one will ever touch this mark. There won't be another boxing match that will match this in our lifetime.

So, you Debbie Downers out there trying squat on this fight and take a deuce, sit back and think about the gravity of this fight. Instead of complaining, think about another sporting event that will be bigger than this. There is none. So make your plans to watch the fight because you know you will, and just breathe it all in....cause' it's in your face!

This fight isn't on time, it's 5 years late. I'm not saying I don't have interest in it, I do, but whether I buy it or not depends on the undercard.

I'd rather see:

GGG vs Ward
Fury vs Wlad
Wlad vs Wilder
Wilder vs Fury
Kovolov vs Ward to name a few...

by so much more, it's insurmountable.

[Ricky_]

I'd rather see:


Fury vs Wlad
Wlad vs Wilder
Wilder vs Fury

Wilder & Fury are bums. you'd rather watch them, than 2 of the best fighters boxing has ever produced!? GTFO!

[Tony1244]

I'd rather see:


Fury vs Wlad
Wlad vs Wilder
Wilder vs Fury

Wilder & Fury are bums. you'd rather watch them, than 2 of the best fighters boxing has ever produced!? GTFO!

I can see you're an agreeable lad. Bums? They're all exciting fighters, but Pac has recently (again) got Knocked the F-Out. Fury and Wilder haven't been. Wlad hasn't been in a long long time.

[The Great John L]

I think it is important for the historians to note that the reason it didn't happen earlier is because Pacquiao refused to submit to full random testing for PEDS. It wasn't gloves, purse split, ring size, etc.

I dunno, I remember FoxNews reporting that it was Obama's fault, so I'll go with that.

[Tony1244]

I think it is important for the historians to note that the reason it didn't happen earlier is because Pacquiao refused to submit to full random testing for PEDS. It wasn't gloves, purse split, ring size, etc.

I dunno, I remember FoxNews reporting that it was Obama's fault, so I'll go with that.

After Hillary asked, "What difference does it make," everyone lost interest in the fight.

[Syntax Error]

It's more than five years late!

They should have had a REMATCH five years ago.

We're all entitled to bitch & whine in whatever way we like, but at least they've finally got it on.

It won't be the prime v prime fight it would have been in 2008 or 2009, but at least it won't go down as a totally missed opportunity.