Pacquiao too 'reckless' to win megafight

Floyd Mayweather says it will be two "hall-of-famers" in their prime when he and Manny Pacquiao clash in the richest fight in boxing history on May 2 at the MGM Hotel.

In the only Las Vegas news conference he is giving ahead of fight week, Mayweather said Tuesday that he is not worried about spoiling his perfect 47-0 record.

"He's a future hall-of-famer. I am a future hall-of-famer and we are meeting at the pinnacle of our careers," Mayweather said.

"From the matchup, it is going to be a very exciting fight.

"Our styles are totally different. I fight with smarts. Every move is calculated. Every move is thought about."

He also discussed how his training is progressing, Pacquiao's strengths and weaknesses, retirement, and revealed that the thrill of boxing is gone and that at this point in his career, it just feels like a job.

- 'Over all of that stuff' -

"No. I don't enjoy it like I once did," said Mayweather, who was fashionably late for his workout session.

"It is at a point where it is business. It is my job. I go to the gym. I train. I know what I have to do," he added, speaking from a tent outside his Las Vegas gym located in the middle of the desert city's Chinatown district.

"There was a time when it was fun but I am to a point now where I am really over all of that stuff."

The welterweight unification fight, which has been the subject of on-off negotiations for six years, will not only be the richest fight but it will go a long way towards determining who was the greatest fighter of the era.

The fight is expected to shatter records for total revenue with Mayweather earning about $120 million, while Pacquiao could receive about $80 million.

Mayweather did allow reporters to watch him work out Tuesday. He said he is trying to rekindle his passion for the sport by using some different training methods, like chopping wood and swimming laps.

"I can have a good day in the gym and the sparring partners can have a good day on me. That don't count. It counts under the lights when it is for all the marbles," he said.

There was no sign Tuesday of the controversy that arose prior to his 2014 Marcos Maidana fight.

In September, Mayweather was ordered to appear before the Nevada State Athletic Commission after being accused of forcing fighters at his gym to allegedly endure 31-minute training rounds without a break.

Mayweather testified to the commission that the marathon sparring sessions were staged in order to boost pay-per-view sales for his personal cable TV show to promote his next fight.

In the episode Mayweather referred to his gym as the "dog house" adding "guys fight to the death. It is not right but it is dog house rules."

Mayweather is now being sued by two of the fighters in question, 18-year-old Shariff Rahaman and his brother, Hasim, 23, who allege battery, tortious assault, false imprisonment and negligent hiring and training.

Still the "dog house" featured a carnival-like atmosphere that will continue to follow this mega title fight until May 2.

Mayweather's longevity in the sport has been attributed to his superb defensive skills.

The May 2 fight is expected to be decided by Mayweather's brilliant counterpunching skills or Pacquiao's blazing speed and power.

But Mayweather says he sees some flaws in the boxing style of Pacquiao.

- 'Reckless fighter' -

Mayweather described the 36-year-old Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) as a "reckless fighter" who takes too many chances, referring to Juan Manuel Marquez's knockout of Pacman in December 2012.

"He fought very, very recklessly in the Marquez fight," Mayweather said.

"I could have had the same type of career but my career wouldn't have lasted this long."

Mayweather is in the fifth fight of a six-fight contract with Showtime, and he says this year will be his last on the job.

"My last fight is in September," he said.
Source: AFP