Below are some boxing legends predictions as compiled by sky sports:
Lennox Lewis: “Manny has got to start fast. His work-rate has to go up because Floyd’s got an unblemished record and he knows what to do. He moves so well around the ring. He’s a counter-puncher as well. Manny has to look out for all those weapons. I don’t think Mayweather is going to be the aggressor – I think he’ll keep it simple. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. “Manny is going to have to come after him. Floyd will sit back. It has to be controlled aggression on Manny’s part. If he goes in crazy, he’s going to get caught. Floyd has no losses right now – he’s the bigger man, no-one has figured him out yet. So my money has to be on Floyd Mayweather.”
Amir Khan: “This is a fight that the world has been wanting to see for so long and it’s great that it is now upon us. Floyd and Manny are two legendary fighters and it is only right that we get to see them share the ring together. I have no doubt that this is going to be a tremendous match-up and will be extremely exciting for as long as it lasts. “Manny has hand speed and fast feet that will cause Floyd some problems early on, but as it progresses I expect Floyd to make the adjustments he tends to make to counter that before pulling away on the scorecards. Both fighters still have so much to give and on Saturday night I’m sure they’re going to produce something very special for the fans.”
Mike Tyson: “I thought from the start that Pacquiao is going to win. This guy is perpetual motion. He comes from every angle; he’s all energy, always throwing punches, never stops. Floyd tucks in and picks his shots and he is more accurate. But he doesn’t throw anything like Manny’s 100 punches a round. “It’s unlikely Mayweather can knock Manny out so if he wants to win he’s got to change. Unless he throws more punches he can’t win the rounds. He has to fight. If he’s not going to score, he is going to lose the round. Also, if he is laid back, he is going to lose the round.”
Sugar Ray Leonard: “Psychologically, Pacquiao won’t think that, going into the ring, he has lost two fights. Mayweather has not lost at all. It will give him a little edge but not too much. You don’t know, one punch could end it all. One punch could turn the tables around.”
George Foreman: “I think Pacquiao to win six rounds, the seventh will be kind of even. Mayweather will come on in the last rounds but it will be too late. The fight will be won by a single round. “Mayweather starts off early looking for a rhythm, Pacquiao will pop him early on, he will tire and Mayweather will come on in the later rounds but he will lose.”
Ricky Hatton: “I think Manny has all the tools in order to beat him. He’s a southpaw which makes it a little bit awkward. He’s got fast feet and fast hands and is probably someone who can match Mayweather for speed. “I think if he can match Mayweather for speed and get in-and-out like he did against Oscar De La Hoya – straight punches rather than hooks, which Manny is very good at – I think he’s got a great chance. But my gut feeling is that Mayweather will adapt his style like he always does and probably beat Manny on points.”
Oscar De La Hoya: “I don’t see Mayweather trying to knock out Pacquiao, but I can see Pacquiao trying to knock out Mayweather. In this sport one punch can change everything and I think I’m going to have to give Pacquiao the advantage. If Pacquiao can start well the first two rounds – winning those rounds – the fight can go in Pacquiao’s direction. “I feel Pacquiao has to win the first two or three rounds, because it’ll make Mayweather have to come from behind and he’ll have to start to pressure Pacquiao, to be the aggressor, and Mayweather does not like to be the aggressor.”
Carl Froch: “Pacquiao knows he can get knocked out but Mayweather is not known for putting people away with one punch. For Pacquiao to win he needs to back Mayweather up. It needs to be educated pressure and he needs to work hard when he has got him. “The fight could slip away from Mayweather if he is not careful. The longer the fight goes on, he is going to be forced to stand and have a fight. We could be in for a really interesting fight. I think the smart money is Mayweather on points. That’s what everyone is going to be saying.”
Joe Calzaghe: “There is no way Pacquiao is going to out-box Floyd Mayweather. When it comes to boxing skills, Mayweather is a much better fighter. Manny Pacquiao needs to be aggressive, he needs to throw punches in bunches, combinations, have a high work rate. “Personally, I would have to go with the undefeated fighter, Mayweather, to win the fight, probably on points, but Manny Pacquiao is a very dangerous fighter, so it will be edge-of-your-seat stuff.”
Shane Mosley: “For the simple fact that I was seriously hurt with Pac-Man and was able to avoid him knocking me out, and Mayweather is not hurt and is generally the best at avoiding punches, I would have to go with Mayweather. “Plus Mayweather has fitness coach Alex Ariza and Pacquiao doesn’t, so I am definitely going with Mayweather on this one.”
Paul Smith: “I’ve said Mayweather on points at the start and I’ve got to stick with my prediction. “That shot from Juan Manuel Marquez which Manny Pacquiao was flattened with, it was some shot. That is what is swaying me, because if Marquez can time that shot, Mayweather is a lot better at timing his shots and will have a field day.”
Marvin Hagler: “A fighter like Mayweather can bring best out of Pacquiao. Maybe he’s never fought anything like he’s going to fight with this fight. I think Floyd is a person that don’t want to lose. I think he’s going to be relying on his skills and everything to try to maintain that unbeaten streak.”
Nigel Benn: “This fight is going to make Mayweather who he is, I believe that he has not got the recognition. “All the people he has disposed of, from De La Hoya to Cotto, he has done everybody. Zab Judah, too. He has done them all. But I don’t feel he has got the recognition because of how brash and flash he is. People don’t like that. “If you watch Mayweather, he gets caught early, as he did with Shane Mosley. But what Mayweather does, is that he just dusts himself down and says, ‘Let’s change this’.”
Kell Brook : “I keep changing my mind, but I’m leaning towards Floyd Mayweather. He has never lost, he knows how to win, it’s in Vegas. Mayweather is going to control the pace and I think he is too clever for Manny Pacquiao.”
Miguel Cotto: “After working with Freddie Roach, I think he is going to be huge in the fight. I’m going for Manny.”
Nathan Cleverly: “I have thought about it long and hard. Instinctively, I have always said Manny Pacquiao beats Mayweather. Looking at them, I’m surprised Floyd is a lot bigger than Pacquiao, a lot more than we thought. I think Manny’s ferocity outnumbers Mayweather and I have got a feeling Pacquiao is going to win on points. There is not going to be a knockout.”
James DeGale: “Mayweather because the guy’s brilliant. He’s one of the best and will go down in history as one of the best. He’s a phenomenal athlete and his results, and the way he takes opponents apart, speaks for itself. “I’m a Mayweather fan. I’ve watched him for years, I like how he fights, his showmanship and his personality.”
Spencer Oliver: “I think Pacquiao will win. His style is all wrong for Mayweather. He has got that southpaw style – we have seen Zab Judah give him a lot of problems, DeMarcus Corley give him a lot of problems with that southpaw style – and speed. He has got fast hands, fast feet, and I think that will be a massive factor in the fight.”
Jamie Moore: “Pacquiao will have a few tricks up his sleeve, change his game-plan, and show different angles. It will be nip and tuck but he’ll win on points via split decision. “When the fight was first made I picked Mayweather because he finds a way to win even when he’s struggling. I now think Pacquiao will have slightly more moments when he’s on top.”
Joe Gallagher: “A lot of people are saying it will take Floyd three or four rounds to adjust. If he doesn’t manage to adjust and all of a sudden it’s six rounds up to Manny Pacquiao or five and one even, Floyd has to come back in those six rounds to win the fight. Pacquiao – the tenacity that he does have – isn’t going to let go of that lead and Floyd might be wanting the big stoppage late on in the fight. “It’s so hard to pick. I keep saying I fancy Pacquiao on a controversial decision.”
Alex Arthur: “Floyd Mayweather is the better fighter. I don’t know about the toughest, but he is certainly the best. Technically he is better than Manny Pacquiao and had a lot more in his arsenal. Mayweather has to maintain a work rate that can keep Manny Pacquiao at bay. I would have to say Floyd Mayweather will win. He will be unbelievably prepared for this fight.”