Money vs Manny

On May 2 (May 3 Phl time) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the most-awaited 'Fight of the Century' between Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao and 'Money' Floyd Mayweather that took five years to materialize will finally take place. A lot of demands have been met to make this megabuck showdown a go.

As to who will prevail, that remains to be seen as both camps claim that they are prepared and have a strategy on how to win.

Here is my analysis of the fight.

1. MORE TO LOSE. Mayweather has more to lose than gain. 'Money' has been avoiding Manny mainly because he has such a superior fighter than him. He knows it, even his dad, trainer and consultants. But being the superior fighter is not a guarantee of a sure win. Manny is not as fast, strong and young as he was five years ago. Some say Manny maybe smarter, but again he has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

2. SPEED. Manny's speed is incredible. He has thrown more punches than his opponent in almost all of his fights and connected it nearly 50 percent  or more. 'Money' also has speed, but speed in staying away from Manny, ducking from Manny's vaunted left hand.

3. POWER. As a southpaw, Manny was not known to have a powerful right hand. But he has developed and trained hard to make it as strong as his left.  He started his career early in boxing, but at the same time he had to work hard labor as a construction worker and mind you, the working condition as a laborer is really bad in our country. There is no weight limit on how much you have lifted and carried. So that alone, an eight-hour work can be considered his strength and conditioning. The additional early morning run and afterwork boxing will also work to his advantage. He has to sweat blood and tears just to earn a living. On the other hand, Money's life has not been that easy also but compared to the working and living condition, I shall say nothing can be compared to the hardship Manny had gone through.

4. HUNGER. Both are hungry, but hungry for the dollar amount. For me, that's the only motivation left for both fighters. Manny is living comfortably with a lavish lifestyle, the same goes with Money. Aside from the notion that he is scared to lose to Manny, the main reason why both can't get into terms for the past five years is money matters. If they have inked a contract five years ago, the prize money would have only been USD50 million. Now, it's a whopping USD200 million. Thus, I could say that playing hard ball  was the best decision for both of them.

5. SMART: Money is the smarter fighter. He avoided Manny at first and he could not have stayed undefeated if he did not choose his opponents wisely. Money made sure his foes are beatable. And whenever he fights a stronger and faster fighter, he resorts to counter-punching as his main weapon. Manny is the exact opposite as he prefers to slug it out punch per punch, toe-to-toe with his rivals.

6. DEFENSE. Money is a defensive fighter and counter-puncher that's why some of his fights are boring. He has a very unusual stance and uses his shoulder to cover his face. But don't be fooled by that antics because once he sees an opening, he will go for the kill.

This superbout will be close to call or predict. Manny has to be agressive, but he must be extra careful not to be countered. On his end, Money needs to stick to his fight plan and avoid direct confrontation or slugging it out with the Pacman as it would be too dangerous for him. So guys, brace yourselves and get ready for the battle for the ages.