It's on! Mayweather-Pacquiao to fight on May 2
Floyd Mayweather Jr (47-0, 26 KOs) will fight Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Finally!
Mayweather announced the fight on Friday afternoon via Shots, a smartphone photo app which he has invested in along with pop star friend Justin Bieber.
The unbeaten American posted: "What the world has been waiting for has arrived.
"Mayweather vs. Pacquiao on May 2, 2015 is a done deal.
"I promised the fans we would get this done, and we did. We will make history on May 2nd. Don't miss it!
"Giving the fans what they want to see is always my main focus. This will be the biggest event in the history of the sport. Boxing fans and sports fans around the world will witness greatness on May 2.
"I am the best ever, TBE, and this fight will be another opportunity to showcase my skills and do what I do best, which is win. Manny is going to try to do what 47 before him failed to do, but he won't be successful. He will be number 48."
WBA and WBC welterweight champion Mayweather and WBO titlist Pacquiao will meet in a super-fight to unify their belts after both camps reached an agreement on drug testing and the purse split, Mayweather will receive the lion's share of 60-40, while rival television networks, Showtime and HBO, will share coverage of the bout, that is expected to gross around $400 million and become the most lucrative in boxing history.
"It is an honor to be part of this historic event," said Pacquiao. "I dedicate this fight to all the fans who willed this fight to happen and, as always, to bring glory to the Philippines and my fellow Filipinos around the world."
Momentum has built towards the showdown for six years as Mayweather and Pacquiao have beat a who's who of their era, both beating common foes Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley.Thus, setting the stage to settle who is the best pound for pound fighter. But disputes over drug testing and the purse split quashed negotiations at least twice in 2010 and tension between the promoters and advisers lasted for many years.
The fight seemed doomed when Pacquiao lost twice in 2012, a controversial split decision to Tim Bradley and a sixth-round knockout to Marquez, while Mayweather switched tv networks from HBO to Showtime, making the clash even less likely.
However, Pacquiao soon returned to form winning three fights in a row, outclassing Brandon Rios over 12 rounds in November 2013 before regaining his WBO welterweight title by outpointing Bradley in their rematch last April. Then in his last outing Pacquiao completely dominated Chris Algieri, whom he knocked down six times en route to a shutout decision in November.
Meanwhile, Mayweather fought four of his six fight Showtime deal, outpointing Robert Guerrero, Canelo Alvarez and Marcos Maidana, twice.
Now the pound for pound champion is facing off with the 10 time 8 division champion and the world finally gets the fight it has been waiting for.