Miami Heat

Preview: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will square off in Las Vegas on Saturday

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will take part in one of the most anticipated fights in boxing history on Saturday.

The bout which is years in the making will pit two of the biggest names in the world against each other with three titles on the line. Mayweather will put his WBC and WBA belts up against Pacquiao's WBO title. Even without those titles, this fight would still likely be anticipated at a record level.

The fight is expected to set a record for any fight in the history of mankind. With an approximate tally of $300 million being generated, a new bar will be set by these two men. The last fight to generate such buzz took place over 40 years ago when Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier squared off.

Mayweather brings an undefeated record into the title bout against Pacquaio, who has five defeats on his career record. Pacquaio has won by way of knockout 38 times as compared to Mayweather's 26.

Most experts and analysts believe this will be a long and close battle. In the past, some hyped fights have failed to live up to expectations, but that is not expected to be the case here. Both men are champions, and have trained long and hard for this day. This fight going the distance would not surprise many.

The key to the fight will come in Pacquaio's ability to engage Mayweather in a brawl. Under that scenario, Pacquaio is at his best. That may prove to be a tough mission however, as Mayweather is a cerebral fighter and rarely allows his opponent to set the mood. Mayweather's defensive and clever style could get Pacquaio off his game, and make things difficult for the 36-year old.

The hope for this fight gained steam at American Airlines Arena. Both men attended a Miami Heat game in January. During the game, the two were both courtside but on opposite one another. It was at half-time that Mayweather and Pacquaio had an opportunity to speak briefly and even exchange phone numbers.

At the time of the meeting, there were hopes of the two men meeting on May 2nd but a contract had not been signed. Pacquaio had set an informal deadline of the end of January, and the meeting came mere days before that. While the timing could suggest otherwise, Pacquaio's adviser said it was a coincidence that both were at the game.

Finding a ticket to attend the fight was akin to purchasing a Super Bowl ticket both in terms of availability and price. With few tickets open to the public, the prices for the seats are staggering. Sitting in the upper deck ran around $1,500 while a ringside view was upwards of $7,500. 

Tuning into Saturday's bout will cost fans a pretty penny with the rate of the pay-per-view set at a record $99.00. That rate will be for a high definition stream, while the standard definition will cost $89.00. Both numbers easily top the previous record of $74.95.

The main event is expected to take place at around 11 p.m. EST.

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