So the Fight of the Century wasn’t and it highlighted many of the reasons the sport of boxing has been in a freefall for decades, much of it related to money as Floyd Mayweather received the richest payday in boxing history and the pay-per-views were also expected to set a record.
Here are five reasons why the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao welterweight unification bout did not live up to all the hype:
1. Mayweather’s conservative, counter-punching style didn’t lend itself to excitement in the ring. Any boxing observer who thought Mayweather was going to change an approach that saw him win 47 contests without a loss was sadly naïve and mistaken.
2. Pacquiao apparently injured his right shoulder while training in March and, because of a clerical error, wasn’t allowed an anti-inflammatory shot before the fight. He was still the aggressor but who knows how the injury limited the number of punches Pacquiao could land.
3. Most people couldn’t or wouldn’t pony up the $100 to watch it live on pay-per-view where any fight worth its salt is these days. Why not wait a week and basically watch it for free on HBO or Showtime? So many fans expressed their disappointment after spending the money that you have to wonder how sustainable the model is going forward.
4. Because of a last-minute ordering crush, the fight was delayed 45 minutes, not beginning to just before midnight Eastern time. Although it’s a Saturday night, that’s too late for the average adult, not to mention young potential fans of the future. Fights took place at 10, not later than 11 p.m., in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s. It’s one reason why the MMA, the UFC and the WWE are the abbreviations that excite kids these days, not the alphabet soup of boxing associations.
5. The Mayweather-Pacquiao confrontation should have happened five years ago, not when both men are nearing retirement. But disputes over promoters, drug testing and other issues prevented it from taking place. In other sports, there’s no ducking your best opponents if you want to win a championship.
