As “Pretty Boy”, “Money”, Floyd Mayweather continues to deal with legal issues that have stalled his Hall-of-Fame career, the lasting impressions boxing fans have of a great champion are those of Manny Pacquiao. The boxing sensation did everything in his power to show millions of pay-per-view watchers as well as the 41,737 in attendance at Cowboys Stadium last November that he is without question the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. His destruction of once indestructible Antonio Margarito was so one-sided that it makes me wonder if there is a fighter alive outside of Mayweather that can derail this congressman from the Philippines.
Pacquiao won every round on one scorecard, 120-108, and was ahead 119-109 and 118-110 on the other two. The Associated Press had it a 120-108 shutout.
“We didn’t lose a round,” said Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach. “I wish they would have stopped the fight.” Pacquiao even turned to referee Laurence Cole several times in the 11th round, imploring him to stop the fight out of fear of permanently damaging his Mexican counterpart. “That’s why I’m looking at the referee to look at it, because he has a lot of bad cut in the right eye. Boxing is not about killing each other. It’s about entertainment for everybody.”
Pacquiao knows what most boxing fans want to see. A fight with the equally talented and perhaps best “pound-for-pound” fighter in his own right – Mayweather. He understands that it would be perhaps one of the most marketed and lucrative fights in history “If the fight happens, that’s good. If not, I’m okay. I’m happy for what I’ve done for boxing. My job is to entertain people and make them happy. If that fight happens, that’s good for us and for the people who love boxing.”
If Mayweather and Pacquiao are to fight, there will have to be concessions from both camps. “Money” Mayweather wants Olympic style blood testing which Pacquiao has been reluctant to do over the course of his career. This has led to wide spread speculation of possible steroid use. With his win last night he has captured titles in 8 different weight classes which no doubt will continue to be the topic of critics. Pacquiao’s camp can now demand more money in the fight because he is without question the top draw in boxing.
Fans of boxing like myself, would love for this epic fight to take place. But as I have learned over the last decade with boxing, nothing makes sense when you try to make sense out of it. If this fight is to finally happen boxing fans alike would be in for one awesome event.
Lake Lewis is President and CEO of the Sports Journey Broadcast Network and their daily drive-time radio host. He also is a credentialed member of the media by the Washington Redskins.