Pacquiao vs Mayweather

[Writehooks]

Manny and Freddie had a dumb fight plan. Nobody who moves forward in a straight line is going to beat Mayweather. Pac's best weapon is his feet -- and he didn't use 'em. He should have slipped laterally (like he did against Rios and Algeri), thereby forcing Mayweather to punch at uncomfortable angles and leave himself open to follow up rights. Also, Manny's vaunted volume punching never materialized. In the three rounds he won, Pac held nearly a 3-1 ratio in landed power punches ... but he couldn't sustain the output. Give Mayweather credit, though -- he stuck to his fight plan, never panicked, and won it going away. It was reasonably entertaining and the richest fight in history for sure ... but way, way down the list of the 'biggest' or 'most significant.'

[th38larg]

As others have said, the fight went just about how I thought it would. However, there were some minor surprises. I was a little shocked when I heard Manny say he thought he had won. It's common in the sport for fighters to say such things during the post-fight-in-the-ring interviews, but I didn't expect it from Manny. That was a little disappointing. The judges came through with sound scoring. I wonder if he genuinely thought he won or not.

Also, what the heck was up with the entourages? Kimmel with Manny and the Burger King with Floyd. Promotion? Publicity? I know that Kimmel had joked about it with Manny, but c'mon. No wonder less and less people take the sport seriously.

Overall, I thought it was a nice, technical, fun to watch fight. Yet judging from my coworkers reactions, I don't think it is going to bring many new fans to the sport. Oh well.

[sporteq]

I saw some reality TV fights that were better than this pathetic fight. Mayweather should retire since he doesn't want to box. Yes, I did see the punch stats.. but i also saw a "Elite Fighter" unwilling to brawl.

Albert

[aaroncc]

I was going for Pac but Mayweather showed he was the bigger fighter. Not disappointed in Mayweathers performance because he did what he does best. Not sure how much the torn rotator cuff handicapped Pac but I'm sure it played a role on the volume of punches thrown. Legitimate win for Floyd, wish there was someone else out there for him fight. Personally not interested in Amir Khan but would like to see him fight Keith Thurman. Pacman out possible 12 months so not sure about his future.

[Exhibitman]

Pacquiao should retire. He has nothing left to try to prove. He's the 2nd best boxer and most exciting fighter of his generation and a sure 1st ballot HOFer. His legacy can only get tarnished from here. I don't want to see him go on a Greedy Bastard Tour fighting tomato cans and I certainly don't want to see another Mayweather bout. All he can get now is disappoint his fans or get hurt. Better to hang them up and go out with his brain uninjured and his dignity intact.

Mayweather, I have no further interest in watching another of his fights. I had not watched one live in years and bought this one only because I hoped Pacquiao would expose him. He's a Bernard Hopkins type in the ring: profound defensive skills and ability, dirty tactics, just terrible to watch. Hopkins at least has a decent public persona, ironic since he was the stone gangsta who did hard time for armed robbery while Mayweather is a dick in public but is just a gym rat. Out of the ring he is a caricature of an ignorant, spoiled, entitled jock. The next time I will pay attention to him is when he gets elected to the HOF, which also should be a first-ballot election, makes the news going broke, or is busted again for punching out another woman.

As for the fight itself, now that it is emerging that Pacman tore his rotator cuff in training, I am not happy. I think Roach and he more or less said "screw it". I don't think the outcome would have been different if he'd been 100% but it would have been a heck of a lot more entertaining.

[travrosty]

manny cannot have his legacy tarnished if he keeps fighting, no matter what, just like roberto duran. he is already a legend and that will never change.

[Exhibitman]

Perhaps not, but he can get hurt. And personally, I don't want to see him struggling with guys he'd have cut apart years before. Better to go out near the top of the game than continue the slide downwards.