A general view before the welterweight unification championship bout on May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP
Finally, the fight that took almost half-a-decade to make has officially started.
WBO Welterweight Champion Manny Pacquiao is facing WBA, WBC Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. Sunday morning (Manila time) in a matchup of this era’s greatest fighters at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The match will not only unify the three welterweight titles but will see the two greatest pound-for-pound kings go at it in boxing’s most expensive fight.
Pacquiao, who was in a white shirt with his personal logo, walked in to the ring first to the tune of his song “Lalaban ako para sa Filipino” with TV host Jimmy Kimmel tailing him. The undefeated Mayweather, who was clad in black, white and gold, was accompanied by singer Justin Bieber.
Singing pastors and Fil-American Gail Banawis sang the national anthem of the Philippines while American singer Jamie Foxx sang the anthem of the United States, the Star Spangled Banner.
Talks for their super fight began in 2009 when the two were at their primes but it all fell apart when Pacquiao rejected Mayweather’s request for an Olympic-style random drug test.
It all became ugly when Mayweather accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs and the eight-division World Champion sued the undefeated American for an amount reaching six figures. Celest Flores-Colina