Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have chosen very different paths late in their boxing careers.
Mayweather last fought a true boxer when he faced Andre Berto in September 2015 to go to 49-0. After that, Mayweather beat Conor McGregor two years later in his final professional fight, making him 50-0. Mayweather has participated in boxing exhibitions since then, taking on Logan Paul, as well as Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, continues to face tough opponents in boxing. He has gone 5-1 since 2016, beating the likes of Timothy Bradley, Lucas Matthysse and Keith Thurman. He is facing yet another tough opponent in Errol Spence Jr. on Aug. 21.
Pacquiao took a swipe at Mayweather when comparing their choices in opponents.
“I can take a YouTuber, I can take a non-boxer. But I just pick one of the best. … Boxing is my passion. I want a real fight,” Pacquiao said in an interview with promoter PBC.
This choice seems to define them.
Pacquiao was never afraid to fight anyone, and his record shows that. Mayweather is extremely talented and skilled, but he took a business-like approach to the ring. He tried to maximize his revenue while minimizing his risk. That produced the best financial returns for him, but came at the cost of his legacy.
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