As Floyd Mayweather Jr takes on Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas today, mid-day takes a look at the two protagonists of the most lucrative fight in boxing history....
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather
Manny Pacquiao
Age: 36
Nickname: Pacman
Stance: Southpaw
Height: 5 feet 6 inches
Record: 57 wins, 5 defeats, 2 draws. 38 knockouts.
World title fights: 19
Career earnings: $340 million
Reach: 67 inches
Chest: 38 inches
Biceps: 13 inches
Forearms: 12 inches
Wrist: 8 inches
Fist: 10 inches
0.12sec
The time it takes Pacquiao to land a punch. It takes the average human around 0.3sec to blink.
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59.6 punches
Pacquiao has thrown nearly 60 punches per round in his last five fights, 20 more than his opponent today.
Also read: Pacquiao vs Mayweather Jr: Five super-fights of the past
Know your boxer: Manny Pacquiao
>> Pacquiao, a southpaw, is known for his aggressive style of boxing.
>> Pacquiao’s family of seven lived in a shack in a shanty town in the poverty-stricken Philippine province of Sarangani.
>> While the 36-year-old’s father, Rosalio Pacquiao, was a farmhand, his mother, Dionisia Dapigaran, did odd jobs to feed the family.
>> The young Pacquiao had to scrounge for food to feed himself. Reportedly, on some days he drank only water.
>> Pacquiao, who quit school at 10, fled away at 12 because he claims his father ate his dog — a charge Rosalio has recently denied.
>> For a brief while, the boxer lived on the streets of Manila and slept in a cardboard box.
>> Ever since he turned pro at the age of 16 in 1995, Pacquiao has won world titles in six weight divisions.
>> Apart from his boxing career, Pacquiao is a musician and a singer. When he walks out to face Mayweather, his entrance track will be a song sung by him called ‘Lalaban ako para sa Pilipino’ or ‘I will fight for the Philippines.’
>> He is also the congressman from his home province of Sarangani since 2010. He has plans of running for the Philippines president’s post next year.
>> Pacquiao has played basketball for the professional team Kia Sorento and acted in TV shows in the Philippines.
Floyd Mayweather
Age: 38
Nickname: Money
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5feet 8inches
Record: 47 wins, 0 defeats, 0 draws. 26 knockouts
World title fights: 24
Career earnings: $420 million
Reach: 72 inches
Chest: 38 inches
Biceps: 12.5 inches
Forearms: 11 inches
Wrist: 7 inches
Fist: 8 inches
Also Read: Floyd Mayweather vows to be aggressive against Manny Pacquiao
Know your boxer: Floyd mayweather JR
>> Though the Michigan-born boxer has a defensive style of boxing, he is unbeaten in 47 bouts through four weight classes. He has also won 26 of his bouts through knockouts.
>> Floyd Mayweather’s father, Floyd Senior, was also a professional boxer who once fought Sugar Ray Leonard in the welterweight class. Mayweather Junior’s uncle, Roger, has won two titles in different weight classes.
>> His mother was a drug addict. His father was once shot in the leg by a drug dealer while Floyd Junior was in his arms.
>> His career earnings are a whopping $420 million. He made $105 million last year, which makes him the highest paid athlete in 2014, according to Forbes magazine.
>> However, Mayweather has no endorsements and is known to be a serious gambler. He did one advertisement for AT&T in 2009 where he did not have any lines. In the same year, he signed a shoe deal with Reebok. Neither deal was renewed the next year.
>> Mayweather has a penchant for cars and owns at least 98.
>> The 38-year-old served two months in jail in 2012 for attacking Josie Harris, the mother of two of his sons, in front of them. He also pleaded guilty or was found guilty of the same offence in 2001, 2002 and 2003 which earned him a suspended sentence and a house arrest.
>> Mayweather’s entourage is called ‘TMT’ (The Money Team) which has previously included Justin Bieber, Warren Buffett, Michael Jackson’s son Prince and 50 Cent.
0.09sec
Mayweather’s reaction speed to visual stimuli, twice as fast as the average person. This makes him excellent at evading punches from opponents
30mph
The speed of a Mayweather punch. The speed is five times faster than a rattlesnake’s strike
Boxers favour mayweather...
Juan Manuel Marquez, welterweight boxer
Pacquiao needs to pressurise Mayweather and land punches with speed, power and accuracy. But Mayweather uses distance very well, is hard to hit and lands with counter-punches. I want Manny Pacquiao to win this fight, my heart is with Pacquiao as a boxer. But Mayweather wins because he’s got such a difficult style
Ricky Hatton, two-time world champion
Pacquiao has all the attributes to beat Mayweather. Pacquiao will definitely cause problems. But after a few rounds, Mayweather will do what he does best and suss things out. I’m picking Mayweather to win on points. It will be a very close fight, nip and tuck, with almost nothing in it
Shane Mosley, three-weight world champ
If he (Pacquiao) is going to win against Mayweather, it’s going to have to be in the first three or four rounds, tops. But Mayweather is the best in the world at avoiding punches, so I would have to go with Floyd
Kell Brook, IBF welterweight champion
Pacquiao is a very active fighter, he’ll pressure Mayweather and make him uncomfortable. But Mayweather is just too clever, his defence is great and he’ll find a way to win
George Foreman, former boxer
If we’ve got good judges this time, it’s Pacquiao. Mayweather starts off early kind of looking for his timing and... Pacquiao will pot shot him and get ahead on points and he’ll stay ahead. He’ll slow down later on and Mayweather will take on the more aggression but he doesn’t have a right hand. He’ll hurt his right hand. He can’t get a knockout. So he’ll just have to cruise on in and win or lose the fight just by a couple of points
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