Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao: Why Should you Watch it?
An American vs a Filipino. The odds favour the American who is fighting in his own backyard. A perfect storyline of the underdog vs a loudmouth. Here are 3 reasons why one should get up on Sunday morning at 8 am in India to watch the bout between Manny Pacquiao & Floyd Mayweather Junior.
1. Greatest Match of all time
In boxing's biggest rivalry, Muhammad Ali & Joe Frazier fought each other 3 times. But on Saturday Pacquiao and Mayweather would be facing each other for the very first time. Though some might say that both boxers are past their prime, but the fact that it took 6 years of persuasion and countless negotiations to get the two of them in the same ring makes it a mouth watering clash.
The rules of the contract are such that if Pacquiao wins there will be a rematch, but if Mayweather wins the Filipino won't get another shot. Both the boxers have been unstoppable through their careers and the bout can be best described using a Chinese paradox: "What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?"
2. Most expensive fight of them all
Money is Floyd Mayweather's nickname; he is the highest earning sports star on the planet and his love for good things in life is well known. Pacquiao on the other hand is a god fearing man who likes to stay away from the limelight. Despite the contrast in personalities they both share a common love- Money! No wonder then that the bout on Saturday is expected to generate a whopping sum of 400 Million USD that will be split between the two on a 60:40 ratio. Interestingly, Mayweather's boxing rights belong to Showtime while Pacquiao's bouts are owned by HBO. Both these companies are business rivals in the world of boxing; to get them to sign an agreement was as good as moving a mountain.
The tickets for the bout are already sold out & the cheapest ones sold for over 20,000 USD (roughly Rs. 13 lakhs)
© AFP
3. The World is talking about it
Fans in over 190 countries are expected to watch the bout on television & internet. Countless celebrities will also be in attendance. The buzz around the fight reached an all-time high when Boxing legend Muhammad Ali tweeted about the bout. Do expect some good music at sin city on Saturday as Mayweather has a bevy of musician friends; in fact pop star Justin Beiber is expected to carry the American's title belts to the ring.