http://sports.yahoo.com/news/pacquiao-mayweather-meet-mega-fight-may-2-032215070--box.html
Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will meet unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on May 2 in a fight fans have long craved between the finest boxers of their generation.
Unbeaten American Mayweather made the long-awaited announcement on Friday via the social media website Shots.com, ending weeks of increasingly intense speculation that the showdown had been set.
"What the world has been waiting for has arrived. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao on May 2, 2015, is a done deal," Mayweather wrote.
"I promised the fans we would get this done, and we did," he added, posting a picture of a signed contract.
Pacquiao, the only fighter to win world titles in eight weight divisions, dedicated the fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to fans who "willed" it into being.
- Fans 'deserve it' -
"I am very happy that Floyd Mayweather and I can give the fans the fight they have wanted for so many years," said Pacquiao, who also posted a picture of the contract on Twitter.
"They have waited long enough and they deserve it."
In Manila, Pacquiao's business manager Eric Pineda said they knew in advance of the match but had left it to Mayweather to make the announcement.
"We just kept it under wraps," he told AFP.
"He has been training (for) two weeks," Pineda said, adding that Pacquiao would leave for the United States in the first week of March.
"This is his toughest fight," Pineda said.
The welterweight world title showdown -- Mayweather owns the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association titles and Pacquiao the World Boxing Organization crown -- is sure to be the richest in boxing history, generating massive pay-per-view revenue.
"This is the biggest boxing event of all time, we're confident of that," Ken Hershman, president of HBO Sports said. "We couldn't be prouder to be a part of it and help craft it."
Certainly the bout, more than five years in the making, is expected to break records -- for gate receipts as well as pay-per-view audience and revenue.
US media reported that Mayweather will receive 60 percent of the purse and stands to make some $120 million, Pacquiao taking $80 million.
More importantly for fans, it will finally pit the two boxers long considered the best "pound-for-pound" fighters of their generation against each other.
Previous bids to put together a fight between the two -- most notably in late 2009 -- had run aground over various issues, including division of the purse and a drug testing protocol.
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Animosity between Mayweather's camp and Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum has also been a stumbling block.
After the fight failed to materialize in 2010, some of the gloss came off the potential showdown when Pacquiao suffered two straight defeats in 2012, a dubious split-decision loss to Timothy Bradley and a knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in his fourth bout against the Mexican.
Since then, however, the Filipino southpaw has won three fights in a row and will take a record of 57-5 with two drawn and 38 knockouts into the May 2 fight.
"Pac-Man," who is 36, won an impressive unanimous decision over Chris Algieri in Macao last November.
Mayweather, 47-0 with 26 knockouts, turns 38 on Tuesday and has two more fights in the Showtime deal that has made him the highest-paid athlete in the world.
He is homing in on the iconic 49-0 record of 1950s legend Rocky Marciano, who retired as an undefeated heavyweight champion.
The fact that Pacquiao is contracted to HBO and Mayweather to Showtime was another thorny issue, and the rival firms are collaborating on the pay-per-view telecast.
"This deal is the product of a lot of hard work," said Stephen Espinoza, the executive vice president and general manager at Showtime Sports.
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HBO and Showtime have worked together before, teaming up in 2002 for the fight between then-heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, who was with HBO, and former champion Mike Tyson, who was with Showtime.
Hershman said the Tyson-Lewis bout was a "great roadmap" for Pacquiao-Mayweather.
"It showed that this can be done successfully," he said.
Both fighters said after their most recent victories that their showdown should happen.
In January, the two met unexpectedly at a Miami Heat NBA game and arranged a meeting at which discussions apparently got serious.
Pacquiao said last week he had agreed to the drug-testing procedures Mayweather wanted as well as other demands, and he believed an announcement of the fight was imminent.
A British newspaper reported last Sunday that Mayweather could announce the bout at the NBA All-Star Game in New York.
In a brief courtside interview, however, Mayweather denied the deal was done, leaving fans to wonder if talks had stalled again.
But no, boxing's latest "fight of the century" is on.
"Floyd should enjoy being the A-side while he can," Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said. "Because on May 2, Manny is going to put him on his backside."
The brash "Money" Mayweather was having none of it.
"Manny is going to try to do what 47 before him failed to do, but he won't be successful," Mayweather said. "He will be number 48."
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I'm pulling for Pacman, but I think he's fallen off more than Mayweather has... Can't fucking wait!!! 
A fight for the fans. Which by the way will cost you $89.95 for the non HD PPV 
I'd be more excited to see GGG VS WARD.
Nothing close to what it once was, but I will still watch it
I can't believe everyone is so down in the mouth about this fight. It's great for boxing and it's two great fighters, albeit past their prime, in what should be a great match-up of elite level skills. I understand being leery but come on. This is what fans asked for and now they finally get it and they say "ah, well it's too late, I don't care." Support this fight. If it does well and we actually get rewarded with a good fight, it will be great for boxing in general.
I'm hoping for a thriller. Mayweather is a little more vulnerable and Pacquiao might make him fight a little bit.
I disagree buddie.
Wont cost as much where I am but 100$ in the US? Why reward two guys who have made the fight 6 years too late? Disgrace imo. Sets a bad precedent
Kovalev vs Pascal will be more entertaining.
Ian Paisley is my hero - I disagree buddie.
Wont cost as much where I am but 100$ in the US? Why reward two guys who have made the fight 6 years too late? Disgrace imo. Sets a bad precedent
I respect your opinion and you are a good poster, but we wanted the fight, we got it, not when we wanted it, but we got it. No matter what the positives far outweigh the negatives. These guys are both still pfp top 10 fighters.
People will be watching and talking about boxing. Casual sports fans. Maybe someone on the undercard gets some good exposure. Maybe we get extraordinarily lucky and its a great fight and we get some people interested in the sport.
Too much opportunity for things good for boxing here in my mind to hate on this fight.
Needs a good undercard. No tmt bullshit.
I'm talking Khan, Canelo, Cotto, Garcia, Gonzalez, fatty Chavez, anyone half decent with a fanbase.
Floyd v Pacman
Cotto v Canelo
Khan v Bradley
Garcia v Marquez
Lomachenko v Doniare
Then the yanks can't complain about the ppv price and every single fucker in the world has a reason to tune in.
How about that?
That would be a great card.
That would kill every UFC card over the last 5 years...
buddie -Ian Paisley is my hero - I disagree buddie.
Wont cost as much where I am but 100$ in the US? Why reward two guys who have made the fight 6 years too late? Disgrace imo. Sets a bad precedent
I respect your opinion and you are a good poster, but we wanted the fight, we got it, not when we wanted it, but we got it. No matter what the positives far outweigh the negatives. These guys are both still pfp top 10 fighters.
People will be watching and talking about boxing. Casual sports fans. Maybe someone on the undercard gets some good exposure. Maybe we get extraordinarily lucky and its a great fight and we get some people interested in the sport.
Too much opportunity for things good for boxing here in my mind to hate on this fight.
I hear ya
I do still want to see the fight.
I am foolish enough to think Pac can still give Floyd a bit of trouble
Frames4Life - Needs a good undercard. No tmt bullshit.
I'm talking Khan, Canelo, Cotto, Garcia, Gonzalez, fatty Chavez, anyone half decent with a fanbase.
Floyd v Pacman
Cotto v Canelo
Khan v Bradley
Garcia v Marquez
Lomachenko v Doniare
Then the yanks can't complain about the ppv price and every single fucker in the world has a reason to tune in.
How about that?
that would be worth the rumored 100 dollar ppv price tag
Both guys are past prime but they are STILL the two best welterweights in the world. They would be prohibitive favorites against any 147 pounder you could name outside of each other. And that's saying something because 147 is a deep division.
Floyd just turned 38 and age is catching up to him, he took some shots against Maidana that he wouldn't have in his better days. Because of that think it will actually be a closer fight now than if these two had fought when they were both at their peak.
I'm excited to finally see them get it on.
Floyd took some shots, but Manny has been knocked sparked out and beaten.
Time has been less kind to Manny
Ian Paisley is my hero - Floyd took some shots, but Manny has been knocked sparked out and beaten.I would argue that Manny has also fought better competition... He just hasn't always looked as good because of it.
Time has been less kind to Manny
Better competition? Floyd fought that same guy that Manny got knocked sparked out by.
They've fought the same guys.
PoundforPound - Better competition? Floyd fought that same guy that Manny got knocked sparked out by.Ok. They both fought De la Hoya, they both fought Hatton, how did those turn out?
Pacquiao has faced better competition in my opinion, but he's also had a rougher road over his career. And none of this has any bearing on who I think will win.
amadeus -PoundforPound - Better competition? Floyd fought that same guy that Manny got knocked sparked out by.Ok. They both fought De la Hoya, they both fought Hatton, how did those turn out?
Pacquiao has faced better competition in my opinion, but he's also had a rougher road over his career. And none of this has any bearing on who I think will win.
canelo was better than anyone manny fought in last couple of years.
who do you think is more dangerous, maidana or algeiri?
alvarez or bradly?
canelo or rios?