Los Angeles. The carpet was red. Not in memory of all the Oscar winners who walked it down the Hollywood years but for the bad blood soon to be spilt by the two greatest boxers in the world. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao took this starry detour en route to their appointment with destiny in Las Vegas on May 2. The Academy Awards have outgrown the Nokia Theater now but this landmark still plays host to those who dream of immortality.
Ultimate stardom can bring out the best or worst in fighting men and Pacquiao had said that it would be good for boxing if can defeat Mayweather, who he sees as bloated with arrogance by success and wealth.
So the man who calls himself Money presented himself in a quiet suit and a modest demeanour, speaking with admiration of his challenger as the best pound-for-pound man in the ring.
Even though he does expect to win the richest fight of all time.
And although he dubs himself The Best Ever, he was full of respect for the legends who preceded him in the lighter-to-middling weight divisions.
‘When I saw Thomas Hearns versus Marvin Hagler I thought to myself there would never be a bigger fight, ever. They were great. Yet here we are today. Getting ready to make some history.’
There was no trash-talking. Floyd said of Manny: ‘It is all about the best fighting the best and Pacquiao is one of the best fighters of this era.
'He’s a great fighter. To reach where he has in the sport of boxing, to be here now, he has to be doing something right. This is part of the fascination of this fight.
‘I can always figure out an opponent instantly and I will have to do it again.’
He also predicts – in addition to ‘my emerging victorious yet again’ – that this event will live up to it’s gigantic hype.
He says: ‘I’m excited. He’s excited. It’s gonna be exciting. This is a fight the world can't miss. It is an unbelievable match-up
‘Styles make fights. I’m not psychic so I can’t tell you exactly how it play out. But I can’t wait.
Manny is a very interesting fighter but I’ve only seen him fight live twice in the last five years – I’m more of a football and basketball fan these days – but I will find the key to Mr Pacquiao. Just as we’ve beaten all the other top guys.
'He wants to win just the same way I want to win. But one thing I do know about any sport, when you lose its in your mind. If you’ve lost once its in your mind, if you lost twice its in your mind.'
Nor does he accept the widespread perception that, with him aged 38 and Pacquiao 36 – that the fight has come five years too late.
He says: ‘Everything is always in the timing. When we met each other for the first time at that basketball ball game the other night and then talked man to man in his hotel room, the time was right to make this fight.
‘We’ll see if we’re too old. I feel good. I look forward to looking good.’
Arum put the size of the fight into context by saying: ‘We are used to seeing events like the Olympics get this sort of attention but it rarely happens in boxing.
Now Mayweather v Pacquiao will be watched by pretty much everyone in the world. These are two great fighters and what they are doing will be great for boxing.'
culled from daily mail Uk
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