The first issue that boxing people are aware of but has been overlooked by the popular majority in the midst of the excitement is that Mayweather at 38 and Pacquiao at 36 are both past their primes.  However, both are still capable of competing at or near their best.  For an aging athlete and even more so for an ageing fighter, there will be more nights where they realize that despite the same preparation that they just do not have their A game once they step into the ring.  Mayweather seemed to acknowledge this after he beat Marcos Maidana in his last fight when he gave his winning performance a C-.

      Another factor is injuries.  The question going into a fight of this magnitude between two veteran warriors in their mid to late 30’s will not be if either of these men  are hurting and have any old nagging injuries, the question will be if the injuries are bad enough on fight night to impact their performance.   Everyone knows that Floyd has had hand problems most of his career, while Pacquiao has suffered from bad cramps in his calves in the past and it has been reported he has had them in camp training for this fight.

Considering the mental toughness, experience and greatness of both fighters, injuries should not play a part in determining the outcome of the fight or the strategy during it…..but it depends on the level of their presence on fight night.  Floyd Mayweather Sr. when discussing Pacquiao’s leg issues said, "To me, that would be Floyd put pressure on him, back him up, back him up on his legs.  It's going to be good because he ain't going to be able to jump all night like that.”

"He might be able to do it for two or three rounds, but if his legs are really hurting him -- I mean, he can get his legs back well before the fight, but in a good, tough fight, the (pain) will probably come back. It'll probably come back to him."  

      Besides brittle hands, Mayweather’s legs have also been questioned despite the fact he used them a lot more in his most recent fight with Marcos Maidana then he did in their first fight.  Freddie Roach recently said, "I actually think Floyd had a better chance of beating Manny five years ago than he does now. I think his legs are a little bit shot. I think he's slowed down a bit. I think we can take advantage of that,"

      To win the fight, Pacquiao will need to use his superior foot speed and severe cramps can negate that speed and potentially take away one of Manny’s best attributes.   While Mayweather has dealt with hand problems throughout his career and has always been victorious; he hasn’t fought anyone who fights with the speed and intensity of Manny Pacquiao.  To get Pacquiao’s respect and keep him honest Floyd will need to be able to use his hands to sit down on some shots and punch with authority when he gets the opportunities.

        Neither of these great warriors would have has such long brilliant careers and be at this level, fighting each other in the biggest money fight in the history of boxing if they weren’t both fighters who are usually at their best when the stakes are the highest.   That being said they are still human beings but especially with all the money and their reputations on the line it would be highly unlikely either man would ever pull out even for what most would consider serious last minute issues.  

       There have been very unique issues going on behind the scenes of big fights in the past that have changed the history of boxing when the show must go on.  In these situations fighters are accused of being washed up, or outclassed when there is more going on than meets the eye.  Examples include, Evander Holyfield who is said to have contracted Hepatitis A at some point prior to his 3rd fight with Riddick Bowe.   To his credit Holyfield knocked Bowe down and looked like he might finish Bowe, but he clearly hit a wall where all his energy left his body and he was stopped.

       In Azumah Nelson’s first fight with Jeff Fenech  Nelson faded badly, while he didn’t hit a wall like Holyfield did, he clearly was losing it while Fenech came on late and appeared to score the victory (the judges scored it a draw). Later Nelson revealed he had entered the bout suffering with malaria.  When they fought a rematch and a healthy Nelson stopped Fenech in the 8th round, people took notice and many said, wow…he must have been sick the 1^st time.    While facts or excuses will always be disputed, these two were at least arguably true and seemed to make sense considering the fighters prior and subsequent performances in the ring.    

     The anticipation and build up to the fight will probably out do the fight itself, but there is the possibility this can actually end up a great fight.   Mayweather’s goal is simply to be Floyd Mayweather and win the fight.   Being Floyd Mayweather usually means slowing the pace down a lot, and working the judges and the referee.  Sharp defense and sharp but infrequent single pot shots with just enough movement sprinkled in   For the fight to have a chance to be great, first Manny must impose his will on Mayweather, he must earn his respect and be capable of taking Floyd out of his comfort zone more than he has ever been in his career, from there the battle is keeping him out of it, while Floyd adjusts. 

      If Floyd wins a boring defense first conservative decision with a lot of close rounds, the fight will be a disappointment to most.  If Pacquiao takes Floyd out of his comfort zone and Floyd is never really able to get back into it and as a result Floyd is dropped and beaten or stopped, it can be an exciting fight and an upset.  However, for this fight to be a classic, Manny will have to impose his will on Floyd to the point where Floyd realizes that he is incapable of making the adjustments to quickly turn it back into his fight, like he did with top fighters like Shane Mosley and Zab Judah.

      This may be the first time in his career that Floyd may be out gunned.  While arguments can be made that maybe one or two former opponents were able to match Floyd in hand and foot speed, this appears to be the first time the Floyd will be fighting someone with faster hands and feet.  Floyd is capable of handling that, but Pacquiao whose boxing instincts and IQ seem to be underestimated by most may put Mayweather in uncharted waters.  If Pacquiao can beat Floyd to the punch, work in and out, work his angles all while using his speed then the master of adjustments, Floyd Mayweather may finally be forced to use everything in his arsenal to keep Pacquiao off of him and stay competitive in the fight.  Floyd may have more opportunities to show his greatness in this fight than he has had in just about all of his fights to date.  Pacquiao can potentially give Floyd no other choice but to stand his ground, sit down on shots, and possibly need to stage a comeback or win the fight fighting Pacquiao’s fight possibly looking for a knockout.

  It is possibly that these two great warriors are capable of taking each other to places that no prior opponent has been able to, especially regarding Mayweather who hasn't tasted defeat as a professional.     If Mayweather realistically wants to be considered “The Best Ever” he needs this moment, more than Pacquiao does…..but realistically they will both need each other to show up with their A game and show their greatness on Saturday to enable one of them to put their greatness on display and in the process leave an everlasting impact on their legacies, boxing and sports.  It is possible that everything clicks on Saturday and Floyd and Manny are forced to leave it all in the ring and this fight becomes an instant classic.