Pacquiao-Mayweather a boxing match for the masses

Like the rest of the planet, I am fervently awaiting the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. match. It could be boxing’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 forgo 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 U.S., 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.

(In the 20th century, the heavyweights carried boxing’s biggest paydays. Of late, if the WBA, WBC, WBO or IBF heavyweight champion walked into the room, you’d just assume he was one of Ben Roethlisberger’s bodyguards. For anyone seeking a new life of anonymity, the heavyweight division is on par with the witness protection program, minus the government perks.)

(OK, let’s play the “World Heavyweight Champions or World Leaders Game.” I’m going to list 16 names – half are 21st-century heavyweight champs, half are presidents or prime ministers. You determine who belongs to which category:

(TraianBasescu, Lamon Brewster, Heinz Fischer, David Haye, Horst Kohler, Sergei Liakhovich Oleg Maskaev, Dmitry Medvedev, Samuel Peter, HasimRahman, Fredrik Reinfeldt, Kevin Rudd, Corrie Sanders, Nicolas Sarkozy, Alvaro Uribe andNikolayValuev. Good luck!)

Other than their boxing skills, the two have little in common. Mayweather runs his mouth, Pacquiao runs for office.

Pacquiao has his own political party, the People’s Champ Movement, making him sort of a younger Ron Paul with a better left hook.

Pacquiao has been running for a seat in the Philippine Congress. In the final days of his campaign, he was joined by his fight promoter, Bob Arum, which might indicate the 31-year-old is less astute in politics than pugilism.

(I’m certainly no expert in the electoral process, but do you really want to be side-by-side with Bob Arum – maybe the most nefarious pound-for- pound promoter around – when you’re trying to earn the voters’ trust?)

As for the likelihood of Pacquiao-Mayweather becoming a reality, it’s a certainty. Nobody walks away from that much blood money.

Ask The Slouch

Q. Would you consider it a demotion to go from commentating on poker to commentating on bass fishing? (John Revay; Woodbridge, Va.)

A. They’re quite similar – except in poker, after you hook the fish, you don’t clean and scale him, you just spend his money.

Q. Do you think professional sportswriters should receive the same pay as the athletes they write about? (Les Tolt; North Olmsted, Ohio)

A. I write about professional bowlers – you want me to take a pay cut?

Q. A la Dwyane Wade, did an ex-wife ever sue an ex-girlfriend who helped break up your marriage? (Jon Headley; West Bend, Wis.)

A. Actually, I believe she sent her a thank-you note.

Q. Los Suns? (Greg Townsend; Pittsburgh)

A. Frankly, it should’ve been Los Soles – in for a centavo, in for a peso.