After the rise of MMA in the last 2 decades, boxing has been on the decline! I mean why watch people who can only punch when you can watch people punch, kick, block, throw and wrestle each other?
However, if 2 larger-than-life personalities are boxing, then we watch!
Both Pacquiao and Mayweather were the last 2 boxers to beat up the previous mega-star Oscar de la Hoya before he retired! You got to beat the star to be the star! The whole world got put on notice!
What also brought the hype was Floyd Mayweather's trash talking! There was no limits to his trash talking, and he never hesitated to use racist remarks about Pacquiao
"Floyd Mayweather's Racist Rant Caught On Tape "
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/02/floyd-mayweather-racist-rant_n_703731.html
“As soon as we come off vacation, we’re going to cook that little yellow chump … Once I kick the midget ass, I don’t want you all to jump on my d---. So you all better get on the bandwagon now ... Once I stomp the midget, I’ll make that mother f----- make me a sushi roll and cook me some rice … we’re going to cook him with some cats and dogs.”
Now, everyone wants to see Pacquiao knock out that racist Floyd Mayweather!
Dana White (UFC director) said it best: " The other thing you said was that Manny Pacquiao should make some sushi somewhere! Sushi is from Japan, he's from the Philippines dummy"
Dana White also responds to Mayweather hating on another athlete of Asian ancestry - Jeremy Lin
Hear Dana White say it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TwYEnMFniA
Mayweather also got in trouble with the law, beating up his wife and spending a few months in jail.
Even more reason why people wanted to see Pacquiao beat up Mayweather!
Then there was the controversy over drug testing! Mayweather demanded Pacquiao take a blood test! Pacquiao believed that taking out some blood will weaken him!
This back & forth went on for years.
Both are now toward the end of their careers so .................it was time!
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The fight itself!
People expected an even fight! People expected Pacquiao to throw a whole bunch of punches at a fast pace like he usually does. Meanwhile, Mayweather is undefeated in his professional career!But once the fight started, it was obvious that Mayweather had the longer arms! So Pacquaio had to keep dodging Mayweather's longer arms. He couldn't go on the attack because that would put himself in the range of Mayweather's longer arms!
Mayweather was also able to jump around, dodge punches, and lock his opponent's arms (some people call it "hugging").
No knock outs, just guys dodging punches throughout the match!
It was too obvious that Mayweather was the better boxer!
Now we're hearing that Pacquiao had a sore shoulder and he didn't inform the boxing commission ahead of time! I guess he didn't want to be seen as a "wimp backing down". He rather box with a sore shoulder. Hard to do that against someone with longer arms.
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Now people are saying that the "good guys don't always win".
Will there be a rematch?
Will Pacquiao get shoulder surgery and take one more shot at Mayweather?
Or will both boxers fade into the sunset!
And will boxing, which doesn't have any other superstars right now, fade into oblivion?
Only time will tell!
