Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jnr: A tale of two opposites
The Filipino southpaw is the spiritual core of his country, while unbeaten American is driven by money, ego and legacy
It is without question the most lucrative fight in the storied history of boxing. For now. If Manny Pacquiao should beat Floyd Mayweather Jnr, then it is a virtual certainty there will be a rematch. If Mayweather wins, then it is a virtual certainty there will not be a rematch.
The fact that this fight is actually happening is almost miraculous in itself, the fact that it may happen again not so much.
Start with the obscene amount of money the fighters will make - Mayweather reputed to be upwards of US$200 million, Pacquiao half of that. How can anyone walk away from that much money? Until further notice, they can't. But although money seems to be Mayweather's raison d'etre, he is also voraciously vigilant of his own legacy.
If he beats Pacquiao, he will be a perfect 48-0 and has already stated this makes him a greater boxer than even Muhammad Ali.
Delusional, perhaps, but unblemished and undefeated, nonetheless, and as much as he is enslaved to the dollar, Mayweather is far more beholden to his ego.
There is little chance he would fight a quality opponent again if he has beaten him once. Mayweather is likely to handpick a couple more nobodies, still get paid an obscene amount and then retire a perfect 50-0.
Pacquiao is a completely different story. He is far more than a boxer; he is the spiritual core of his country and easily the most transcendent figure in modern Philippines history. He may be a congressman, a professional basketball player and coach, a game show host, an actor and a song and dance man, but none of that happens without his boxing.
If he beats Pacquiao, he will be a perfect 48-0 and has already stated this makes him a greater boxer than even Muhammad Ali
To walk away from the ring when seemingly the fate of his country is at stake will not be an easy decision and despite the fact that Mayweather says Pacquiao desperately needs the money, the man has still made close to US$350 million from boxing. He may not pose for pictures in front of his sparkling fleet of Bugatti's and his customised Gulfstream like Floyd does, but Manny is not broke.
If he beats Mayweather, the entire dynamic changes. Although Pacquiao has had numerous big fights in Las Vegas, this is undoubtedly Mayweather's home turf. He is undefeated and the biggest draw in boxing so he is the de facto champion, Pacquiao the challenger.
What a Pacquiao victory would do is bring Asia in to play big time. If Mayweather is seeking to avenge a loss, he has to come to Pacquiao and there seems little doubt that Pacman would want to meet him in Macau because there is nowhere else in Asia capable of staging a fight of this magnitude.
If he beats Mayweather, the entire dynamic changes
Two of Pacquiao's last three fights have been in front of a raucous and overflowing crowd at the Venetian in Macau and the world's largest casino was prepared to throw a ridiculous amount, even more than they are making at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, at Mayweather and Pacquiao for this scrap.
However, as much as Mayweather loves money, he was adamant a fight in Macau was a total non-starter. Las Vegas, featuring the most iconic gambling strip in the world and a mere one-hour flight away from glitzy Hollywood, makes a big fight bigger and is the perfect choice for this fight.
However, if Mayweather comes to Macau, the circus will follow. For Pacquiao, it makes perfect sense, of course. Ninety minutes by air from his home in the Philippines, it offers an opportunity for his legions of fans - both at home and around the region - to get up close and personal.
And let's not forget the massive implications of tax dollars. He lives in the Philippines and works in Macau, so he can basically tell the invasively obsessive IRS to get lost.
Of course, all of this is contingent on a Pacquiao victory and, for that to happen, it is going to take a lot of heart and a little luck. In a perfect world this fight should have happened five years ago, but it didn't and we have to live with that.
Mayweather is simply one of the greatest tactical boxers and because he rarely gets hit, he is a young 38, while Pacquiao is an old 36. It may take a knockout for Pacquiao to win, but he has not knocked anyone out in six years.
While few of the advanced boxing metrics favour Pacquiao, the heart and sheer will of a true champion is immeasurable.
Either way, we have waited long enough - let's get ready to rumble. Hopefully, we won't have to wait quite as long to make it happen again.
