Desperately seeking Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Like the rest of the planet, I am fervently awaiting the Pacquiao vs Mayweather match. It could be the sport's last great gift to the huddled masses. Beyond Dempsey-Tunney, Louis-Schmeling, Robinson-La Motta, Ali-Frazier and Hearns-Leonard, Pacquiao- Mayweather will embrace the new multicultural world order and return boxing -- if only for a single night -- to the brightest lights on the biggest stage.

That's assuming they ever fight and assuming folks are willing to pay $64.95 to view it.

(That price might sound steep, but look at it this way -- the next time you fly, if you forego checking two bags, right there you've saved enough money to afford Pacquiao-Mayweather!)

The two have fought outside the ring in trying to set up a fight inside the ring.

Mayweather implied Pacquiao had used performance-

enhancing drugs and insisted on blood testing just before they fight. Pacquiao would not agree and sued Mayweather for defamation of character.

Pacquiao says giving blood just before a fight would weaken him.

(My own anecdotal evidence supports Pacquiao. In 1998, I gave blood and, less than 72 hours later, foolishly proposed to my second wife. Then last year I gave blood just before writing a column on statistical debris in sports, and dozens of readers e-mailed to tell me it was the worst article they had ever read.)

Unable to come to terms on a fight, Pacquiao proceeded to dominate Joshua Clottey March 13 and Mayweather proceeded to dominate Shane Mosley May 1, reviving debate on which champion is the world's best pound-for-pound boxer.

(I am often asked why the term "best pound-for-pound boxer" is used. Indeed, was G. Gordon Liddy referred to as the best pound-for-pound plumber in the business? Is Bobby Flay the best pound-for-pound chef? Is Yo-Yo Ma the best pound-for-pound cellist? The pound-for-pound expression essentially acknowledges the fact that a bantamweight, say, cannot beat a middleweight, but pound-for-pound, the bantamweight might be a better fighter. Of course, outside of the United States, they talk about the best "kilogram-for-kilogram" boxer.)



Whenever Pacquiao-

Mayweather happens, it likely will attract one of the biggest pay-per-view audiences ever; in 2007, Mayweather's fight against Oscar de la Hoya drew a record-breaking 2.45 million buys.

Source: washingtonpost.com