Update: Floyd Mayweather wins by unanimous decision
For about six years, boxing fans have wanted to see a summit meeting between welterweight champions Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., and it will finally happen on a historic May 2nd "Fight of the Century" at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. For those who want to watch a Live Stream of the fight, this could be problematic as it will be difficult to find out how to watch online. But you can still follow the live updates by clicking here.
According to Forbes, HBO and Showtime, who have the rights to the weekend's boxing match, already filing complaints against boxinghd.net and sportship.org and their plans to live-stream the fight. This is considered a historical lawsuit because it is filed over piracy that hasn't yet taken place.
Here is what Pay TV operators are charging for this grand event: Verizon Fios is at $99.99, DirecTV is at $99.95 HD ($89.95 SD) and Time Warner Cable is charging $99.99 HD ($89.99 SD). Sky Box Office in the UK will show the fight for about $31, Spain will play it for $13, and Scandinavia, it is about $60.
Related: Manny Pacquiao's Christian Faith, Wife and Family
What is really interesting is how some countries are airing it for free. For example, in the Philippines, which is Manny Pacquiao's country of origin, the fight will be broadcast live on both free-to-air and cable TV. Mexican TV companies Televisa and Azteca have also won the right to show the fight for free.
According to the Latin Times, the is the potential for a free offering of the event as Dish Network is offering a special promo for new subscribers that offers the Floyd Mayweather Vs. Manny Pacquiao fight for free with every 24-month contract agreement. This would be a good plan if you were planning on switching to DISH network.
So far, I cannot find a dedicated site devoted to livestreaming the fight, and HBO and Showtime might shut it down if one becomes active. Another way to see the fight for free is just go to a sports bar, where they will be playing it just to draw in business.
Needless to say, this fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is very, very big. It has been called "the richest fight in history", with the two contenders expected to receive a combined sum of $300 million. Famous ESPN sports journalist Stephen A. Smith was more than just a little excited on his daily radio show according to Fight Saga. Smith expects a "romp", and he also says that "Floyd will pick Manny apart".
According to the LA Times, Floyd Mayweather Sr. had something to say about his son, who he helped train, in the form of a poem: "Floyd's the best/I must confess/To all the rest/There is no contest". He then went on to say that "Floyd is smarter than him, Floyd is quicker than him, has more knowledge, and I'm going to tell you this right here: Floyd can't lose to him."
As far as Pacquiao goes, his trainer Freddie Roach predicts the probability of Manny Pacquiao's victory at one hundred percent. He even goes so far to say that "everyone says [Mayweather's] changed his style to become more fan-friendly". According to the International Business Times, Roach even said a while ago that "He's [Mayweather Jr.] scared of us now, and he'll be even more scared of us after we destroy this guy [Chris] Algieri".
In other words, team Pacquiao believes that Mayweather has been afraid to fight him. This echoes what Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said, when explained why this long overdue fight did not happen. "He [Mayweather Jr. ] doesn't want to fight southpaws. The worst possible opponent for him is Pacquiao. He's [Mayweather Jr.] afraid to lose."
Expect this new "fight of the century" to happen on Saturday, May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, starting at 8 PM PT and 11 PM ET, with the chance of delays. Let's see who wins.
