Pacquiao wants to do to Floyd Jr. what Mayorga did to Forrest

By Alex P. Vidal

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Like the pesky Ricardo Mayorga, Manny Pacquiao has been given the chance to be the first fighter to end Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s 47-0 winning streak on May 2 at the MGM Grand. 

Can Pacquiao do to Mayweather Jr. what Mayorga did to Vernon Forrest in 2003?

Heavy-favorite Forrest was 35-0 with 1 no contest (26 KOs) when he lost by 3rd round TKO to underdog Mayorga, then 23-3 (21 KOs) for the WBC welterweight and WBA super welterweight championships in Temecula, California on January 25, 2003.

Talkative and arrogant Mayorga, nicknamed "El Matador" and the pride of Managua, Nicaragua, proved his win wasn't a fluke by thrashing Forrest via 12-round majority decision in a rematch in Las Vegas on July 12, 2003.

Nobody gave the five feet and nine inches tall Mayorga the chance to beat the six feet tall Forrest, who was fresh from back-to-back 12-round unanimous decision wins against Shane Mosley in 2002.

RECKLESS

Mayorga, a reckless fighter like Pacquiao, knew he had no chance against the KO artist from Atlanta, Georgia if he did not rush forward to harass Forrest with dizzying wallops in the first three stanzas.

Fighting almost similarly like Mayweather Jr., Forrest didn't expect Mayorga to hit him hard like his fists were loaded with rocks.

At 2:06 in the third canto, referee Marty Denkin could not anymore tolerate the abuses inflicted on the unbeaten American superstar and halted the carnage.

Pacquiao has expressed excitement in fighting his most dangerous opponent who is also unbeaten like Forrest before the later's ill-fated bout against Mayorga. 

CONFIDENT

Mayweather, 38, is confident he can roll past the 36-year-old lawmaker from Saranggani Province in Mindanao and is looking forward to log two more fights before he will retire.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, loves to be tagged as the underdog. He is excited to fight Mayweather immediately.

“I’d like to invite everyone to witness this Saturday a good fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao…both of us, Floyd and I, we’ve been working hard to entertain you on Saturday," Pacquiao declared during the final press conference at the KA theater inside MGM Grand on Wednesday afternoon. 

"To give a good fight on Saturday. Nothing personal, we’re just doing our job, doing our best on Saturday to put our name in boxing history. But the most important thing, I’m hoping after the fight we can have a conversation with Floyd sharing my faith about God.”

Mayweather Jr. retorted: “It’s time to fight now. You guys came out here to see excitement. You guys came out here to see a great event. That’s what both competitors bring to the table. Excitement. The biggest fight in boxing history. And I’m a part of it so that’s a great thing. I feel good. I feel strong. I’ll see you guys Saturday."