Pacquiao-Mayweather

[Matthean]

Sources: Floyd Mayweather Jr. agrees to Manny Pacquiao fight - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4705330)

Getting closer...
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[timmae]

Sounds like we could be close to actually seeing this. Floyd was interviewed after one of the Shobox matches on Friday night and basically said "Let's do this". I didn't think we would actually see this match so I am super excited that it could happen next year. For far too long promoters have dodged great matches. This one could be epic!

[kingfc22]

This event will likely have a huge buy-rate, but the fight itself is 5 years too late.

[SegRat]

I agree this fight needed to happen years ago.

[BYU 14]

If it had happened at the time of the original post, I would be excited. Now, not so much, the luster has kind of dimmed.

Now if he and Golovkin could do a catchweight bout at 154....

Edit Mayweather/Golovkin, not Pac

[Dutch]

This event will likely have a huge buy-rate, but the fight itself is 5 years too late.

Agreed....its boxing being corporate boxing...

[Blackadar]

I think Mayweather has realized that he's never going to get his due unless he actually fights someone good. He's been coasting for years fighting guys who have big names but were past their peaks.

* De La Hoya had already lost to Trinidad, Mosley and Hopkins before facing Floyd. Two fights later he retired.

* Hatton was probably on paper the best name "in his prime" fighter, but was already on the downside with a drinking and drug problem. He fought only 4 times after taking on Floyd.

* Baldomir was already 33 when he fought Floyd and lost 3 of his next 4 after Floyd.

* Judah had already been KO'd by Kostya Tszyu and beaten by Spinks and Baldomir before taking on Floyd. Cotto KO'd him shortly thereafter.

* Gatti was long washed up before fighting Floyd, having been through the wars with Ward and beaten by Oscar. He went 1-2 his post-Floyd fights.

* Mosley had already been beaten by Vernon Forrest (twice), Winky Wright (twice) and Cotto before taking on Floyd. He went 1-3-1 in his 5 fights post-Floyd.

* Victor Ortiz had been beaten by Maidana, drawn against Lamont Peterson and barely squeaked by Berto before taking on Floyd. He's gone 1-2 in his post-Floyd fights.

* Cotto was trying to revive his career when taking on Floyd, having lost against Manny and Margarito. Lost against Austin Trout after the Floyd fight.

* His last opponent, Maidana, lost against Khan and Devon Alexander and is over 30.

Big names all, but not one in their prime. Manny has made it a habit of fighting big names only on the downside of their career. They all suffered recent losses, are over 30 and are vulnerable but haven't spoiled their name yet. And they generally do nothing after the Floyd fight either. He's been ducking Manny for years, demanding an unreasonable split of the money (generally 2/3rds of the proceeds) and then tries to make drug testing the issue (when Manny has repeatedly agreed to get tested). He's scared to get in the ring with someone who can actually challenge him.

Of course, Manny may be no different in this sense. He's still good, but he's not the force of nature he was 5 years ago. And there's no way Mayweather will step into the ring with a guy in his prime like GGG, who I think would wipe the ring up with him.

Can you tell I'm not a Floyd Mayweather fan? O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D

[timmae]

I hear ya black but there are a few notable fights I think. Canelo Alvarez and Guerrero recently, although time may show those to be similar to the others you mention. I'd argue Marquez was a tough test and Corrales was in his prime.

[Blackadar]

I hear ya black but there are a few notable fights I think. Canelo Alvarez and Guerrero recently, although time may show those to be similar to the others you mention. I'd argue Marquez was a tough test and Corrales was in his prime.

I can't figure out Alvarez. He's looked good in some fights and horrible in others. He looked bad against Mayweather and also Lara, while looking very good against Trout. I almost wonder if there's some doping going on there.

Guerrero is a 2nd rate fighter. His best wins are against a washed up Katsdis (who had lost 3 times in 7 fights before Guerrero) and Casamayor (who was nearing 40 years old). He has yet to prove he's anything but being 2nd rate.

Corrales was over a dozen years ago and Floyd was over the weight limit when he fought Marquez (who already had to move up and was at a disadvantage).

I'm not saying that Floyd hasn't fought anyone good. He's had some good opponents and he's certainly an excellent fighter. But when you start really pouring through his record, there's almost always something "wrong" with his supposedly major fights. Most of his opponents were already over the hill. Against smaller guys he was over the weight limit. Other guys just weren't in his class. The guys are cherry-picked.

Floyd's not the only guy who does this, of course. I think he's just probably the most obvious at this stage. I'd love to see a GGG / Floyd fight, but I do really think that Golovkin would knock Floyd out of the ring. KO of the year right here - I've never seen anything like it:

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--iX1RN3Xv--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/czmlbi2x1huu1sygbogl.gif

[timmae]

GGG is unreal... I was in Florida when he fought in October otherwise I was thinking about attending the fight. I'd pay buckets to see a Mayweather/Golovkin fight... I'd even like to see a Khan/Mayweather matchup.

[Blackadar]

GGG is unreal... I was in Florida when he fought in October otherwise I was thinking about attending the fight. I'd pay buckets to see a Mayweather/Golovkin fight... I'd even like to see a Khan/Mayweather matchup.

I'm not so keen on Khan. Suspect chin and limited power. He hasn't had a real KO in some time now. Molina quit on his stool and Judah was a low blow that the referee missed. He has the hand speed to tag Mayweather on occasion, but I don't think he can do any real damage.

[stevew]

I'll believe it when I chip in at a friend's house to watch the PPV.

[timmae]

I'll believe it when I chip in at a friend's house to watch the PPV.

And you'll probably need more friends to attend to make it worth your while... In the understatement of the year you can be certain that it will be the most expensive boxing match ever sold on PPV.

[stevew]

And you'll probably need more friends to attend to make it worth your while... In the understatement of the year you can be certain that it will be the most expensive boxing match ever sold on PPV.

I'm in for like $20 and some beers but that's about it

[BYU 14]

I'm in for like $20 and some beers but that's about it

Just bring the beer and I will use my streaming skills :)

[kingfc22]

Just bring the beer and I will use my streaming skills :)

+1 to this :D

[Chief Rum]

I find that generally where guys drink beer, streaming skills will eventually surface.

[Chief Rum]

And it's FINALLY on.

May 2nd at the MGM in Vegas.

[Neon_Chaos]

HERE WE GO.

[IlliniCub]

Wow the ESPN article says the ppv price is expected to be $99 bucks for High Def and 89 without.

[Edward64]

I'm rooting for Manny.

[NobodyHere]

Wow the ESPN article says the ppv price is expected to be $99 bucks for High Def and 89 without.

$99!!!! We could almost buy our own ship for that.

[timmae]

Biggest fight ever? This will test Mayweather no doubt.

[Klinglerware]

Just saw this random story on ESPN:

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12379012/daniel-orton-released-fined-philippine-basketball-association-taking-verbal-jab-manny-pacquiao

So, Pacquiao is a Professional Boxer/Congressman, and now also a Professional Basketball Player and Coach?

Granted, I don't know much about the guy and how much work it actually takes to be good at all of these jobs, but it seems like he's spreading himself a little thin.

[Neon_Chaos]

Just saw this random story on ESPN:

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12379012/daniel-orton-released-fined-philippine-basketball-association-taking-verbal-jab-manny-pacquiao

So, Pacquiao is a Professional Boxer/Congressman, and now also a Professional Basketball Player and Coach?

Granted, I don't know much about the guy and how much work it actually takes to be good at all of these jobs, but it seems like he's spreading himself a little thin.

Yep.

[sovereignstar v2]

Who?

[Dutch]

Who?

Ask your grandfather, he knows 'em.

[Groundhog]

Neon, Semi-unrelated, but how is Orton playing in the PBA? I thought there was a height restriction in the league, or has that changed?

Judging by that pic of Manny taking a jumper, I don't think Orton was too far off with his comments, either..

[Klinglerware]

Neon, Semi-unrelated, but how is Orton playing in the PBA? I thought there was a height restriction in the league, or has that changed?

Judging by that pic of Manny taking a jumper, I don't think Orton was too far off with his comments, either..

There are height restrictions for players who don't have Philippine ancestry, for those parts of the PBA season (which is divided up into 3 or so mini-seasons) that are open to imports. Rafe Bartholemew's book "Pacific Rims" was a fun read that details some of the intricacies of the PBA and gives a great overview about basketball in the Philippines.

If I remember the book, trying to sneak an import under the height limit is an art form. I'm guessing that they somehow manged to "shrink" Orton to 6' 9" or whatever the limit was.

Speaking of Bartholomew (who taught himself to speak Tagalog fluently and deeply integrated himself in the PBA for his book), he has a good analysis of what probably really went down with Orton:

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/daniel-orton-nba-manny-pacquiao-pba-philippine-basketball-association-tim-cone-purefoods-star-hotshots/

Basically, part of it was cultural--it's a no-no to call people out publically, especially if you are new to the society. Also part of it is that Orton probably wasn't playing as well as the ownership hoped, and the twitter comment was an excuse to get rid of him. A theme in Bartholomew's book is that imports are essentially replaceable at the drop of a hat, and you basically have to produce like an all star to stick around (simplifying things quite a bit).


Edit to add the answer to my question about Pacquiao spreading himself too thin:

"Here, we should note that because of Pacquiao’s boxing schedule and numerous other obligations, he shows up for Kia games about as rarely as he shows up for Congress. Last week’s game was only the third time he had suited up for Kia, even though the PBA season is about halfway done."

[Neon_Chaos]

Neon, Semi-unrelated, but how is Orton playing in the PBA? I thought there was a height restriction in the league, or has that changed?

Judging by that pic of Manny taking a jumper, I don't think Orton was too far off with his comments, either..

No height restrictions in this year's Commissioner's Cup. One of the teams has a 7'3" behemoth.

Orton's played horribly. He doesn't understand the triangle offense (being employed by Tim Cone, arguably the best coach in PBA history, who copied the late 90's Bulls triangle by taping them using broadcasts from nearby military bases).

EVERYONE knows that Manny really doesn't deserve to be playing in the PBA. But are you really going to speak up against the most popular and powerful Filipino in the world, while playing in the Philippines, in front of Philippine media?

Funny thing about Rafe, we were acquainted through love of the same Filipino band. I've actually bumped into him several times while he was still writing his book and we've had beers over in Katipunan Street. He did a stint on one of the TV telenovelas too. (Warning: Horrible acting ahead.)

The Ballad of Brad and Bakekang Part III - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1r_AW_xZLA)

[Klinglerware]

Fascinating stuff, especially about Rafe.

I've also read (probably in the book) that Cone didn't actually know that the triangle offense was called the triangle offense. He just wanted to emulate what the Bulls were doing, and amazingly he managed to reverse-engineer the system from those videotapes.

[Groundhog]

Pacific Rims has been on my Amazon wishlist for years now, I really need to get around to purchasing it.

[Karlifornia]

Sources: Floyd Mayweather Jr. agrees to Manny Pacquiao fight - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4705330)

Getting closer...
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That weekend is going to be nuts for me. Friday, May 1st is my best man's birthday, the fight is Saturday, May 2nd, then I get married (for the first, and hopefully only time) on Sunday, May 3rd. Gonna be exhausted that Monday before the honeymoon.

[NobodyHere]

Isn't the NFL draft that weekend too?

[Karlifornia]

Isn't the NFL draft that weekend too?

Yup....Thursday is night one. The day of my final fitting. This is what happens when you just pick a day without vetting it haha. It'll be hectic but amazing :)

[stevew]

confirmed at $89 for SD and $99 for HD. Wow. $21 times the legal occupancy for bars, etc.

[Neon_Chaos]

$45 for HD PPV here in the Philippines. I'll be holding a PPV victory party or a funeral, depending on the outcome. :)

[Butter]

Not to take away from this big fight, but I happened upon HBO Saturday night and decided to watch their fight card, including a heavyweight title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and some guy named Bryant Jennings.

My question is, what the hell happened to heavyweight boxing?

The announcers were praising this Jennings like he was fighting the match of his life, but in the end he lost an easy decision in a bout that never saw either guy in trouble and frankly saw less than a good shot per round on average. It was boring. They said Klitschko hadn't had a fight this competitive in something like 7 years.

7 years?!?!? Apparently, he's been champion for 11 years.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I was surprised Klitschko left Russia. He hasn't taken a fight outside of Russia in several years.

[JPhillips]

I hope Pacquiao beats the shit out out that serial batterer.

[A-Husker-4-Life]

I watched that same fight and it appeared that Klitschko was bored, not taking it serious. Jennings was undersized and didn't have much power, he caught Klitschko acouple of times late but couldn't do anything with it.

As for Heavweight boxing, they need to split it up into super heavy and heavy. These super heavy weights have ruined that division.

[Butter]

What killed me is that it was clear to me that Jennings needed to go all out in the final 2 rounds or so, and those were maybe his worst of the bout. He got caught by a good shot with about a minute to go that maybe took his fight away, but I was expecting a lot more of a "caution to the wind" approach than what I saw.

[Logan]

I hope Pacquiao beats the shit out out that serial batterer.

I'm no boxing guru but I'm pretty sure the only chance of this happening is if Mayweather basically loses focus for a moment and Manny catches him, or similarly if he actually goes for a big shot and Manny counters perfectly. Am I wrong there?

I just have no idea why people think this will actually be a good fight to watch, but it would be nice to be proven wrong. This has to be the greatest marketing job of all time.

[Edward64]

Manny with a Scottish accent!

Help ma boab! Manny Pacquiao nails brilliant Scottish accent | Daily Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/boxing/video-1153244/Och-aye-noo-Manny-Pacquiao-nails-brilliant-Scottish-accent.html)

Rooting for the underdog

[GrantDawg]

I'm no boxing guru but I'm pretty sure the only chance of this happening is if Mayweather basically loses focus for a moment and Manny catches him, or similarly if he actually goes for a big shot and Manny counters perfectly. Am I wrong there?

I just have no idea why people think this will actually be a good fight to watch, but it would be nice to be proven wrong. This has to be the greatest marketing job of all time.


It's the names. That's all. Mayweather should win this easily. Though, at least for the money you'll get the full 12 rounds. No one is going down, unless Manny gets hurt bad or something. It's a fight 5 years too late.

[sabotai]

I'm really hoping for a Pacquaio win tonight, but I'm not optimistic.

But like GD said, 5 years too late. IMO Pacquaio would have beaten Mayweather had they fought 5 years ago. Tonight's result, whatever happens, won't change my mind on that.

[PilotMan]

Yeah, I don't see anything out of this except a 12 round decision for Mayweather. If Manny can get something going and really execute effectively I'll put it all on Freddie Roach for getting him there. I'd love to see something really historic, but I still think Mayweather is just too big, and he still might be the best pure boxer of his generation.

[Izulde]

Tried watching on firstrow UK's site but the stream keeps cutting out on me. Oh well. Guess I'll have to follow on FB.

[PineTar]

Cynical prediction: Undeserved split decision for Pacquaio resulting in the big money rematch this fall.

Also, this event proves to be the last gasp of a dying sport, with no future boxing match coming anywhere near the hype and revenue of tonight's event.

[CU Tiger]

Tried watching on firstrow UK's site but the stream keeps cutting out on me. Oh well. Guess I'll have to follow on FB.


http://livetv.sx/en/eventinfo/311451_floyd_mayweather_jr_manny_pacquiao/#webplayer_ifr|239587|311451|239587|13|6|en

[cmp]

I feel like I'm the only one wanting Mayweather to win.

[CU Tiger]

given his most recent arrest for beating the shit out of his GF after spending jail time for the same...yeah hes not a popular character at this point.

My wallet is hoping he wins though :)

[Buccaneer]

Wonder why this is not live until midnight EST? I thought this would be long over with by now.

[Ironhead]

Wonder why this is not live until midnight EST? I thought this would be long over with by now.

Think they were holding out to allow PPV sales.

[Bigsmooth]

Wow, thanks for that link!

[CU Tiger]

Fairly active first round.
Id give it to Mayweather, but more of a coin flip

[cmp]

I think I'd give the first two to Mayweather.

[cmp]

1st three go to Mayweather for me and the 4th to Pac.

[CU Tiger]

I'd say first 3 rounds to Maayweather.
4th Clearly to Pacquio

[sabotai]

My scorecard so far: 1: Floyd, 2: Manny, 3: Draw, 4: Manny

[sabotai]

5: Floyd

[CU Tiger]

agree 5 Floyd
6 Manny

[sabotai]

6: Manny

[CU Tiger]

lost the stream mid way through the 7th

[sabotai]

7: Floyd

But Floyd clearly won the first 2 minutes while Manny clearly won the 3rd minute. A lot of times, judges score that for the 3rd minute winner.

[cmp]

Yeah I have Mayweather winning 5 of 7 rounds but the judges could see it any way. It's been close.

[sabotai]

8: Manny

I think Manny's doing a lot better than people expected, including me.

[cmp]

Mayweather should have the slight edge. Worst scorecard I've seen for him has it even after 8.

[sabotai]

9: Flyod

4-4-1 even (and I'll admit to having a bias for the aggressor)

Still, Manny needs to really bring it in the last 3 rounds. In Manny fights, close rounds tend to go to his opponent. If I were him, I wouldn't count on a decision at all.

[CU Tiger]

Ive got a stream back but its in Russian...lol

[sabotai]

10: Manny, but that was a close round.

[cmp]

I'd have it 7-3 Mayweather, maybe 6-4.

[cmp]

11 to Mayweather

[sabotai]

11: Floyd

[CU Tiger]

Manny gotta swing for the homer here

[Edward64]

Sounds like a good fight.

Worth the $?

[sabotai]

12: Floyd

My final score 6-5-1 for Floyd.

[CU Tiger]

no way was it worth $100...if I didnt have to travel tomorrow and could have watched it at a bar or got together with friends maybe...

[cmp]

Mayweather landed 67 more punches in the fight.

[CU Tiger]

Ive got it
6 Floyd
4 Manny
2 I didnt see enough to have an opinion.,

[sabotai]

If anything, this fight confirmed my thoughts on what would have happened 5 years ago. Rounds 4 and 6 were what Manny used to do to opponents in the majority of rounds. Had this fight happened 5 years ago, round 4 would have been half the fight........oh well....

[CU Tiger]

118-110
116-112
116-112


Unanimous Decision Mayweather

[sabotai]

118-110. LOL

[sabotai]

Like I said, the judges give all close rounds in Manny fights to his opponent. It's how his first fight vs. JMM ended up a draw, it's how he lost to Bradley the first time. And he doesn't have it anymore to overwhelm the best fighters for 7 or more rounds.

[sabotai]

Oh, and you can't say my opinion was swayed in any way by commentators because the guy I was listening to a was a very uninterested sounding Russian dude, and I don't know Russian. ;)

[RainMaker]

See a lot of people on Twitter complaining about it being boring. That's just how Floyd fights go. Won't let you hit him.

[cmp]

Those complaining about this fight being boring have definitely never seen Floyd fight. His fights are always pretty boring.

[sabotai]

See a lot of people on Twitter complaining about it being boring. That's just how Floyd fights go. Won't let you hit him.

For a Floyd Mayweather fight, this was exciting!

But I didn't find it a boring fight at all, so... (not that I would say it was exciting. Just around the moderate level. It was a good fight.)

[Izulde]

While it wasn't an exciting fight, I found it very interesting to watch. Makes me want to watch more boxing, actually.

And just to throw some nerdery in the thread: Mayweather reminds me of a control deck in Magic. :D

[sabotai]

While it wasn't an exciting fight, I found it very interesting to watch. Makes me want to watch more boxing, actually.

YouTube has a whole bunch of fights just waiting for you, going back all the way to the silent era. If you do find the defensive-counter puncher style interesting, look up videos of Willie Pep. That dude was the absolute master of it.

[BYU 14]

And just to throw some nerdery in the thread: Mayweather reminds me of a control deck in Magic. :D

LOL, that's actually a pretty fucking good analogy. Frustrating and often boring as hell, but extremely effective.

I had it 117-111 (116-112 if I am generous with the 9th) but Mayweather was never really in danger.

I too have to chuckle at folks that were expecting anything different, he was not going to engage in a slugfest for Pac. As usual, not exciting, but you can't help but appreciate the subtle things PBF does to control a fight.

I think a lot of people bitching really don't understand boxing.

[BYU 14]

While it wasn't an exciting fight, I found it very interesting to watch. Makes me want to watch more boxing, actually.


YouTube has a whole bunch of fights just waiting for you, going back all the way to the silent era. If you do find the defensive-counter puncher style interesting, look up videos of Willie Pep. That dude was the absolute master of it.

Yeah watch Pep's bouts with Sandy Saddler. Henry Armstrong, Danny 'Little Red' Lopez and Jeff Chandler are some others you need to youtube as well. And for quick gratification, the 3 round war that was Hagler/Hearns.

[RainMaker]

And while this was expected, it was boring as shit.

[Izulde]

Thanks, guys. I'll definitely check some out.

[BYU 14]

Just talking about it, I had to go watch it again. If you have never seen it, take the 10 minutes to watch, 1st round alone has more action than the 12 we just watched from Vegas.

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[stevew]

Wonder why this is not live until midnight EST? I thought this would be long over with by now.

Apparentmy Time Warner Cable was a'll screwed up(I know, a shocker)

[Neon_Chaos]

Abput $80Mil to run around the ring chasing Floyd and knowing that no matter how the fight ends, he's still going to be more popular than Mayweather, Manny is all smiles.

[CU Tiger]

I think most of the boring comments are from guys who have been into MMA recently.

I used to be a big boxing fan, but after watching more and more MMA I find myself going for a drink in the middle of a boxing round.

Last night I was wondering what if...
What if they went 15 Rounds like the old days?
What if there was no round limit and they went until someone was knocked out or quit?
Or what if the payout was changed to $200MM for Floyd $100MM for Manny and a $100MM bounty for a knock out to either?

If its all about the Benjamins then lets put the Benjamins where our interest is.

I think the frustrating part is no one won or lost that fight. They both walked out all smile ready to get a drink. Im not sure either will even have a bruise this morning. That's not the way the fight of the century should be the next day.

They're both extremely well conditioned, no reason they couldnt have gone 3, 5 or even 10 more rounds.

[A-Husker-4-Life]

This was a cash grab for both fighters, it was nothing more than a glorified sparing match. I've watched and boxed/coached for over 30 years and this was disgraceful, fight of the century my ass. I'll never pay for a major fight again, just not worth it anymore.

[Dutch]

Ouch. I've seen some great fights on HBO, it will serve me well to just stick to that caliber of boxing. Read: I wont PPV it. I will.PPV MMA from time to time though.

[djsatu]

Glad I didn't have to pay 100 bucks to watch this. Used to love boxing, but the quality just isn't there anymore. Major props to Manny who clearly outboxed Floyd, and actually wanted to fight. I am reading online at how Floyd was a beast and clearly won the fight. Really?? Boxing is a joke, and this is the end for me as a fan.

[BYU 14]

Ouch. I've seen some great fights on HBO, it will serve me well to just stick to that caliber of boxing. Read: I wont PPV it. I will.PPV MMA from time to time though.

The quality of free boxing is much improved over the last year. The NBC premier boxing series has been great in it's first two efforts, hopefully that trend continues.

[JAG]

Just talking about it, I had to go watch it again. If you have never seen it, take the 10 minutes to watch, 1st round alone has more action than the 12 we just watched from Vegas.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8mILPqwesNE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thanks, can't remember if I've seen it before, but that was awesome.

[Julio Riddols]

I haven't been able to watch a boxing match with any enthusiasm since Ward/Gatti.

[Dutch]

Thanks, can't remember if I've seen it before, but that was awesome.

I've seen it before, but that never gets old...the level of training and passion to dish out and take that much is what boxing is all about.

[stevew]

Mayweather is throwing all of his belts away on monday. Seems like a shrewd move as that means he won't have to tip out all the sanctioning bodies.

[bob]

Major props to Manny who clearly outboxed Floyd, and actually wanted to fight. I am reading online at how Floyd was a beast and clearly won the fight. Really?? Boxing is a joke, and this is the end for me as a fan.

Wait - I didn't see the fight, and I'm not really a boxing fan, but is this a popular opinion? Was the decision at all controversial, because I didn't see that online at all in the articles I read.

[kingfc22]

Wait - I didn't see the fight, and I'm not really a boxing fan, but is this a popular opinion? Was the decision at all controversial, because I didn't see that online at all in the articles I read.

Not at all. IMO, the first 6 rounds could have been scored 4-2 Floyd or 3-3 depending on how you scored round 2. The final 6 rounds were totally controlled by Floyd.

And I was rooting against Floyd as hard as anyone else.

[MrBug708]

Ya, nobody thinks Pacman won the fight or really "outboxed" him unless you want to thrust heavily biased semantics into the conversation

[Groundhog]

I was rooting against Floyd, but he clearly won the day. Manny connected on a few decent hits, but Mayweather controlled the fight and for a large portion of the fight he was basically toying with him.

Most of the online controversy seems to be because people hate Mayweather, or hate his style of fighting. Manny looked to do more than Mayweather to the eye, but he connected on precious little.

[Vince, Pt. II]

_____ looked to do more than Mayweather to the eye, but he connected on precious little.

This is the line that you can substitute every single fighter who has ever fought Mayweather in, and the sentence applies.

[Groundhog]

The top Aussie boxer the past decade or so has a very similar style to Mayweather. It seems to me - someone who only ever watches boxing when it's a big 'Mayweather/Manny' type event - that it's the smartest way to box. Also seems to me a big reason why I find boxing boring most of the time.

[HomerSimpson98]

enjoy


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[digamma]

Sort of a fitting ending to this saga that the Nevada boxing commission is more upset about Pacquiao being less than forthcoming about a shoulder injury than it is about Mayweather being less than forthcoming about domestic abuse.

[Kodos]

It's a sad world we live in.

[Logan]

Sort of a fitting ending to this saga that the Nevada boxing commission is more upset about Pacquiao being less than forthcoming about a shoulder injury than it is about Mayweather being less than forthcoming about domestic abuse.

Or about...fighting.

[Grover]

Sort of a fitting ending to this saga that the Nevada boxing commission is more upset about Pacquiao being less than forthcoming about a shoulder injury than it is about Mayweather being less than forthcoming about domestic abuse.

A boxer lying about an injury is considered perjury.

When you've got millions of dollars of betting going on, you've got to hope both fighters are in top-top condition. Basically anybody who bet on Mayweather gained an advantage without knowing it.

[digamma]

A boxer lying about an injury is considered perjury.

When you've got millions of dollars of betting going on, you've got to hope both fighters are in top-top condition. Basically anybody who bet on Mayweather gained an advantage without knowing it.

Oh I know the rationale, and in a vacuum, their questioning Pacquiao would be fine. It's sort of a larger (perhaps state the obvious) point about the entire silliness of their "licensing" commission.

[Grover]

Oh I know the rationale, and in a vacuum, they're questioning Pacquiao would be fine. It's sort of a larger (perhaps state the obvious) point about the entire silliness of their "licensing" commission.

The silliness includes Pac being denied a painkiller because they never disclosed the injury.

Manny Pacquiao Could Face Legal Trouble For Hiding His Shoulder Injury (http://deadspin.com/manny-pacquiao-could-face-legal-trouble-for-hiding-his-1702237518)

[HomerSimpson98]

Wholly shit - a torn rotator cuff?!?!?!?!

As someone who recently had one myself and recently repaired, I can tell you that it greatly reduces your power. Also, if your arm went the wrong way at the wrong angle, excruciating pain (although for me, it was being pulled backwards). Straightline punches wouldnt be an issue, but his training had to be compromised by this. Crazy stuff.

[jeff061]

All that means is Manny conned us all. If it was a real fight he would have pulled out and delayed. But he just wanted his money, chance of winning or real effort be damned.

[Arles]

Mayweather fights are akin to watching the 90s Devils in hockey run the neutral zone trap. It's effective, it wins, but it isn't very exciting to watch. I've been a big boxing fan over the past 30 years, but I think I will stick to the HBO/Showtime/NBC fights until things change. About one out of every 5 fight is worth watching and those odds seem to dip when both fighters know they are leaving with $80+ million win, lose or draw.

Maybe when Floyd finally hangs it up, we can go back to watching fighters in the welterweight class who put on a show (ie, 2000-2007). Although, part of me worries that the money involved will prevent all out wars like we had with Ward-Gatti, Mosely/Vargas and even a younger Pacquiao/Morales. The last interesting fight Floyd had (that didn't involve 80+% defensive fighting) was probably the Hatton fight back in 07.

[cthomer5000]

Mayweather fights are akin to watching the 90s Devils in hockey run the neutral zone trap. It's effective, it wins, but it isn't very exciting to watch.

I'll throw in the Jose Mourinho era Chelsea FC in soccer. Brutal to watch, but completely effective, and you can't fault the individual/team. UFC was also in a rough spot a few years ago where basically every weight class was dominated by someone willing to keep defending on 5 round decisions. You could have a card where 3 titles were going to be defended and still know you were in for a stinker.

I know it won't happen, but there should be MAJOR repercussions for anyone involved in this fight who knew he had been injured in training but not properly reported it. This is as close as you can get to straight-up fixing the fight, and I feel really bad for anyone who bet on Pacquiao.

I love how boxing just continues to be it's own worst enemy. It' already perceived as an insanely shady sport where results are pre-determined, and yet they still approach it will all the honesty of a Lucius Sweet fight from the Simpsons.

http://www.fof-ihof.com/upload/cthomer5000/sweet.jpg

[molson]

More than 4.4 million PPV buys and a $72 million gate.

Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight shatters all-time live gate record (http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/12872711/floyd-mayweather-manny-pacquiao-fight-shatters-all-live-gate-record).

Whether it be wrestling, MMA, or boxing, anytime PPV prices go up, there's always this clamor about how nobody would pay so much to watch one show on TV. But time and time again it's been proven, the more you charge, the more special you make your event seem. Hell, the WWE almost single-handedly got out of financial trouble in the mid-90s by doing one thing - doubling the PPV price. It increased the status of those events. I think you see the same phenomenon in live sports event tickets. When ticket prices went up, interest and gates went up with them. In the 70s you had a lot of half-empty arenas with $6 seats in all the pro sports. Charge $50+ for the same product and suddenly its something people want to do.