Floyd Mayweather overcame Manny Pacquiao in one of the biggest fights of all time, but would it have been different had the Filipino been closer to his prime?
Vice TV’s latest episode of ‘The Grudge’ explores the fascinating feud between two of the greatest competitors the sport of boxing has ever seen.
For years, fans desperately craved a showdown between a defensive genius and a lightning-puncher, capable of drowning his opponents with unrelenting waves of pressure.
At one point in time, experts around the globe genuinely believed ‘PacMan’ could be the man to finally relieve the American of his undefeated record, until he suffered a loss so devastating, it changed everything.
WOW: Manny Pacquiao finished boxing icon, who Floyd Mayweather said was his ‘toughest’ opponent
Al Bernstein opens up about whether prime Manny Pacquiao could’ve beaten Floyd Mayweather
In one of the most shocking moments in sporting history, Manny Pacquiao was knocked out cold by Juan Manuel Marquez.
Through grit and determination, the Filipino quickly built his way back to world level, but the icon was never quite as frightening as he was at the peak of his powers.
When the eight-weight world champion eventually battled it out with his arch-nemesis inside the squared circle, he struggled to overcome the master technician, losing via unanimous decision. Mayweather even went as far as to call Pacquiao an ‘easy’ fight.
While a decade has now passed since that night, Al Bernstein, who featured on The Grudge, still wonders whether the best version of Pacquiao could’ve gotten the job done.
When asked during an exclusive interview with Bloody Knockout whether things would’ve been different had the contest occurred prior to the fight with Marquez, the Hall of Fame broadcaster replied: “Probably three years earlier when Pacquiao was doing very well in the welterweight division and was a volume puncher. It’s very difficult to diminish that attack he had.
“What was required to beat Floyd Mayweather, and I did a video back at that time, saying I thought it would be a very good match-up because of the fact that Mayweather likes to deaden fights and make them less volume, but Pacquiao was high-volume and more of an energy fighter. It would be up to Pacquiao to impose his will on Mayweather.
“At that point, I think it would’ve been better for Pacquiao. Whether he would’ve won the fight, I don’t know, but I think he would’ve had a better go of it than he ended up having.”
Why did Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao captivate the world?
In his esteemed career, Bernstein has covered an array of epic contests, but during The Grudge, he claimed he’d never seen anything create the level of ‘frenzy’ Mayweather vs Pacquiao did.
So what was it about the two boxers that managed to capture the imagination of the public?
Bernstein explained: “They each became superstars, and they went about it a slightly different way. Pacquiao was from the Philippines; he was a revered and loved figure. He was a true warrior who went up multiple weight categories to get to where he ended up.
“Floyd Mayweather, in the first part of his career, was with Top Rank and was called ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd, but then went off on his own and became ‘Money’ Mayweather.
“He became famous by becoming a more edgy person, accepting the villain role to some people. He had a slightly different path to becoming a worldwide figure.
“They both carved out their own fiefdom while hovering around each other and never setting foot in the ring together.
“Boxing always has a poster child for the sport not making all the matches it should, and this was that for a number of years.”
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