SE Boxing Thread (not waiting for PBF v. Pac II)

I can't hold it in anymore. Pretty Boy's said repeatedly that a good PPV fight takes at least 6 months to promote properly, so it's time we started discussing all things Pacman-PBF itt right now.

The Latest Updates:

- This link was posted in the Pacman-Cotto thread; apparently Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, has already been contacted by Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who told him that Floyd has given them the green light to begin negotiations for a Pacquiao fight. This is just one link of many...numerous credible boxing print reporters and bloggers are also indicating Schaefer and Arum were expected to have been in contact as recently as today.

- Early reports indicate Pac-Cotto attracted approx. 1.5 million PPV buys, which means an estimated gross of $82 million. This is significant because Mayweather's camp said unless Pac-Cotto could surpass the Mayweather-Marquez PPV buys from earlier this year (~1 million), they would refuse to sign on for a fight unless the PPV share was heavily in favour of Floyd - thought to be around the 65-35 range. Not only is Pac-Cotto gonna surpass Mayweather-Marquez, it's gonna blow it out of the water. All signs point to an even chop making the most sense, imo.

- From the "LOL WUT" files, the Yankees have apparently expressed interest in hosting a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight at Yankee Stad... in the spring of 2010, rekindling the spirits of great world title fights of the past fought in the old Bronx shrine. Also, according to Arum, Yankee Stadium took out a full-page ad from the Pac-Cotto fight program that proclaimed "Yankee Stadium, Your Home For Boxing 2010." Haters gonna hate.

The Fighters:

Manny Pacquiao

WBO Welterweight World Champion
IBO and Ring Magazine Light Welterweight Champion
Ring Magazine #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world

Hometown: General Santos City, Philippines
Nickname: Pac-Man
Age: 30
Record: 50-3-2, 38 KO's
Height: 5 ft. 6.5 in.
Stance: Southpaw
Current division: Welterweight (fought at catchweight of 145 lbs. vs. Cotto)
Notable wins: Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales (twice), Marco Antonio Barrera (twice)

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Former WBC Welterweight World Champion (vacated upon retirement)
Former Ring Magazine #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, currently #2

Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Nicknames: Money, Pretty Boy
Age: 32
Record: 40-0, 25 KO's
Height: 5 ft. 7.5 in.
Stance: Orthodox
Current division: Welterweight (147 lbs.)
Notable wins: Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Zab Judah, Arturo Gatti, Jose Luis Castillo (twice), Diego Corrales

What makes this matchup so intriguing:

As the saying goes, styles make fights, and this axiom holds true when describing a potential Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. Pacquiao is arguably the most prodigious offensive talent in the modern era. Without a doubt, he's the fastest puncher on the planet today, but what might be more astounding is the fact that he's retained the same magnitude of power during his progression through 7 weight classes. When you combine blinding speed with the ability to inflict serious punishment, you get the most dangerous puncher in the world. His footwork, agility and technical skills are all world-class as well, allowing Manny to attack from a multitude of awkward angles; this often confuses his opponents and allows him to score seemingly at will. None of Pacquiao's last 4 fights have gone the distance. Although once regarded as a flat-out brawler, Pacquiao has shown a much more methodical approach to attacking his opponents over the last 2 years, resulting in some eye-opening victories over De La Hoya and Cotto most recently. Manny's stamina is truly remarkable; his engine simply doesn't stop.

However, Pacquiao has never fought a fighter as proficient defensively as Mayweather. Plenty of boxing fans rate Mayweather as the greatest defensive fighter of our era, and with good reason - in 40 professional fights, Mayweather has only been knocked down once, by Carlos Hernandez over 8 years ago. The shoulder roll technique taught to him by his father and uncle enables Mayweather to dodge punches from all angles and in all situations, by twisting away from punches in a rhythmic manner and presenting much smaller target areas compared to his contemporaries. While Floyd isn't necessarily known as a knockout threat - only 25 career KO's, 4 decisions in his last 5 fights - he does boast knockout victories over the late hard-nosed Arturo Gatti and formerly undefeated Ricky Hatton, a performance which earned Mayweather high praise and accolades from the boxing media for his systematic destruction of a highly-regarded challenger.

So the question remains: who breaks first? Will Pacquiao be able to solve Mayweather's seemingly impregnable defence? Will Mayweather be able to withstand the Pacquiao offensive tsunami? Something has to give...and in the process, fight fans might be treated to one of the greatest bouts in history.

Why this fight is so important for boxing:

Sadly, the reputation of boxing has been so tarnished over the last two decades, many fight fans feel they've been completely alienated by the sport. Due in large part to the absence of big fights, the questionable legitimacy of championships and the embarrassing greed of short-sighted promoters, mainstream interest in the sport has waned to a large degree. With the advent of big ticket MMA, boxing is fighting for its life like never before.

Hardcore boxing fans and casual sports fans alike deserve to see the very best fight each other. It's the only way boxing can remain relevant in a day and age where sports media is oversaturated with coverage of every sport imaginable. After years of wandering in the proverbial woods, boxing is finally taking steps towards regaining legitimacy - events like the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament certainly help. However, even though the likes of Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward make for fantastic entertainment, boxing needs a string of blockbuster fights to jumpstart the sport and reinvigorate mainstream interest once again. Pacquiao-Mayweather can provide the required spark.

A fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather, easily the sport's two biggest attractions, will draw the attention of the mainstream sports media unlike arguably any other fight of the last three decades. For boxing aficionados, this is easily the most significant fight since Pernell Whitaker fought Julio Cesar Chavez for the right to claim the undisputed pound-for-pound title in 1994...but more importantly, in terms of attracting worldwide mass interest, this might be the biggest fight since Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier in the Thrilla in Manila in 1975. Ironically, the final chapter of the Ali-Frazier trilogy took place in the Philippines, so it's only appropriate that 35 years later, a Filipino icon will make up one half of the most important and significant bout of his era.

One of the reasons boxing has become less relevant to the sports public is because of the decreasing American content at the highest levels of the sport. While this has made boxing more intriguing for non-Americans worldwide, the fact remains that the biggest title fights still take place in the United States, catering to boxing's biggest and most profitable market of over 300 million consumers. Therein lies another subplot all to itself: this fight would pit the biggest (and arguably last) American superstar left in the boxing against the sport's biggest draw in the Pacific Rim, which is a gigantic market itself - the Philippines is the 12th most populous country in the world with a population of 92 million, which doesn't include the estimated 11 million immigrant Filipinos living overseas. Unlike many predecessors, this fight has true worldwide appeal. The entire globe will be tuned in. This is the kind of fight that can rejuvenate an entire sport and inspire the next generation of superstars to lace up a pair of gloves.

***Disclaimer***

I understand that nothing's been signed yet and there's a whole lot of messy negotiations ahead. I also understand this fight might not even happen. It's not my intention to jinx it or anything like that. I just think this fight has to potential to be an era-defining moment for our generation of sports fans...therefore, I wanna start talking about it as soon as possible. Mayweather-Marquez was a small obstacle, Pacquiao-Cotto was a huge one, but now there's nothing standing in the way of these two little giants colliding (sorry Sugar Shane). This fight needs to happen. For so many reasons. I, for one, cannot wait. This is the real fight to save boxing, and I really hope all parties involved in the negotiations understand what kind of lasting effect - both economic and otherwise - this fight will have on the sport.

Gentlemen, discuss.