Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao are two of the greatest fighters of their generation.
They locked horns in ‘The Fight Of The Century’ in Las Vegas back in 2015, although many pundits and fans argued that the highly anticipated showdown happened a few years too late.
Mayweather would prevail on the night, putting on a comprehensive performance to claim a unanimous decision victory over the Filipino legend, adding the WBO world welterweight title to his WBC and WBA titles.
Many of the sports most prominent figures have speculated over the years how a fight would have gone if the retired pound-for-pound greats had fought during their respective primes, One ex-fighter who knows Mayweather and Pacquiao better than most is Oscar De La Hoya, who faced both fighters during his glittering career.
In a feature with The Ring Magazine, De La Hoya believes Pacquiao would have been victorious if he had faced ‘Money’ during their prime years, claiming it would have been an ‘easy’ victory for ‘Pac-Man’.
“I would have to say Pacquiao. I think his determination, his conditioning, his skill, his power, speed, footwork … he’s one of the fighters I most appreciated. Mayweather-Pacquiao would have been a lot different [if they’d fought] in their primes. Pacquiao would have beat [Mayweather] easy, absolutely.”
Both Mayweather and Pacquiao have now retired from boxing, after winning an abundance of world titles between them during their tenures. ‘Pac-Man’ is reportedly considering a shock return to the sport in the near future, after the 46-year-old revealed he was open to the idea of lacing the gloves up once again.
