Face-to-Face: Mayweather & Pacquiao Finally Meet

After years of false alarms, the two met at the solitary press meet to hype "the biggest fight in history"

After five years of bickering, posturing, and false alarms, Floyd Mayweather Jr.and Manny Pacquiao stood face-to-face on Wednesday to mark the official countdown to one of boxing's most anticipated fights. Pacquiao, wearing a dark suit and tie, arrived on stage for the news conference as ACDC's “Thunderstruck“ blared through the speakers. He was followed by Mayweather, who was in a light suit with no tie and walked in to Queen's “We Will Rock You.“
A roar of camera shutters tracked their every move, before sitting with their respective camps in the only news conference they will hold to hype their May 2 fight. And while neither boxer took questions from the media in downtown Los Angeles, each exuded confidence. “This is a fight that the world can't miss,“ Mayweather said from his podium. “I'm in the gym working right now... pushing myself to the limit because I never wanted to win a fight so bad in my life.“

The fight--at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas--is expected to be the highest grossing bout in history. “This is what you are waiting for since five years ago,“ said Pacquiao, who has held world titles in eight different weight divisions.

Pacquiao told a group of reporters that he was not worried about the upcoming bout and was more concerned about prior fights with Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. Those fights came when Pacquiao, 36, was closer to his prime. Mayweather, 38, is also closing in on the end of his career and Pacquiao's camp feel that works to their advantage. “(Mayweather) had a better chance of winning five years ago,“ said Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach.“He has slowed down.“

There are no shortage of contentious storylines in this matchup. Roach had exchanged words with Mayweather's father and trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., while promoter Bob Arum used to work with Mayweather before joining Pacquiao.“For me to be in the biggest fight in history... I kept my fingers crossed and here we are today,“ said Mayweather.