The fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas is only a few hours away—and few of the best boxers still alive think that Pacquiao has much of a chance.
Bernard Hopkins and “Sugar” Ray Leonard are two of the all-time greats that think Mayweather will win the fight of the century, according to the BBC. And fighters that lost to both men also plumped for “Money” Mayweather.
Juan Manuel Marquez, who was beaten by Mayweather and fought Pacquiao four brutal times—said:
I want Manny Pacquiao to win this fight, my heart is with Pacquiao as a boxer. But Mayweather wins because he’s got such a difficult style.
Ricky Hatton, who lost to both fighters, also said that Mayweather will win on points. “Love him or loathe him, he’s a genius,” Hatton said. Even Pacquiao’s longtime sparring partner Amir Khan said that Mayweather will come out on top. ”Manny has hand speed and fast feet, and that will cause Floyd some problems early on,” Khan said. “But as it progresses, I expect Floyd to make the adjustments he tends to make to counter that before pulling away on the scorecards.”
So many are going for Mayweather that the list of fighters whose money is on Pacquiao is fascinating.
Some of the greatest fighters of all time think that Pacquiao could end Mayweather’s undefeated record. Oscar de la Hoya, who has lost to both men, is going the other way based on the Filipino’s incredible work rate:
If Pacquiao doesn’t get tired, Mayweather is going to be shooing away that fly for 12 rounds, and Pacquiao might surprise him. I’m inclining more, as the fight gets closer, to Pacquiao.
George Foreman, who was 40-0 when he lost to Muhammad Ali in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire, is picking Pacquiao, too. ”Mayweather starts off early looking for a rhythm, Pacquiao will pop him early on, he will tire and Mayweather will come on in the later rounds but he will lose,” Foreman says.
The biggest fan of Pacquiao’s? The heavyweight monster that was Mike Tyson. ”I thought from the start that Pacquiao is going to win,” he said. “This guy is perpetual motion. He comes from every angle; he’s all energy, always throwing punches, never stops.”
According to Tyson, Mayweather—who is a defensive fighter—has to engage in the contest to win enough rounds to win the contest. “He has to fight,” Tyson said. “If he’s not going to score, he is going to lose the round. Also, if he is laid back, he is going to lose the round.” He also just doesn’t like Mayweather, calling him a “small, scared man.”
Who is right? We’ll find out in a few hours.