Manny Pacquiao’s hoops obsession puts Mayweather clash at risk

Manny Pacquiao is at it again, playing basketball before his big fight with Floyd Mayweather.
CNN cameras recently captured Pacquiao playing briefly on the professional team he owns in the Philippines. He emerged without injury, but it was reminiscent of when he came under fire last year for playing basketball in the weeks before his November bout with Long Island’s Chris Algieri.
While a sprained ankle or dislocated finger suffered playing basketball could have jeopardized the richest fight in boxing history, Pacquiao escaped injury-free as his team staged a comeback victory.
Pacquiao also hopes to be a victorious when he faces the unbeaten Mayweather for the welterweight championship on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I can say [this will be] one of the most important fights of my career,” Pacquiao
told CNN. “[It] has been five years in the making and finally it’s happening. I think the fans deserve it.”
Mayweather and Pacquiao will come face-to-face on Wednesday in Los Angeles, where the only press conference before fight week will be held.
Mayweather opened his training camp in Las Vegas on Tuesday and remains a 3-to-1
favorite. Pacquiao, who already has arrived in Los Angeles to begin training, said he plans to have his children at the fight.
“My son and my daughter, they really wanted this fight to happen,” Pacquiao said.
“Three years ago [they said], ‘Daddy, I want you to fight Mayweather. I want you to fight Mayweather.’ I said, ‘Why? It’s not my fault. He doesn’t want to fight.’ And now finally now it finally happened. They really, really want to watch the fight.”

Manny Pacquiao has chance to beat Floyd Mayweather, says Teddy Atlas

The recent announcement that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao finally will meet in the ring on May 2 in Las Vegas was a cause for celebration throughout the boxing world.

ESPN commentator Teddy Atlas says it's better late than never, but he believes the fight is "six years too late" from an athletic standpoint.

"I don't know if it will be a great fight, but it's going to be the biggest fight of all-time," Atlas told Newsday.

Referring to Pacquiao's Dec. 8, 2012 knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, Atlas added, "Pacquiao was out cold, but the stars lined up right for him. The fans are happy because they're parched in the desert, and they think they see an oasis. But there's always a danger you're seeing a mirage."

In Atlas' view, Pacquiao isn't as big or as strong at age 36 as he was when he was knocking people out, which he hasn't done for his past 10 fights dating to a 2009 stoppage of Miguel Cotto. Atlas said Mayweather might have been right to demand testing for performance-enhancing drugs when the camps for the two fighters first negotiated in 2009.

"I'm not making any claims," Atlas said. "I'm using my eyes."

At the same time, he believes Mayweather also is diminished at age 38.

"Floyd has always been careful, and now, he's more careful than ever," Atlas said. "He showed that in his last fight against Marcos Maidana. He grabbed and ran."

But while neither fighter is as good as in his prime years, Atlas believes it could be a decent fight simply because Pacquiao is good enough to possibly end Mayweather's unbeaten streak of 47 fights.

"The greatest strength of Mayweather is his greatest weakness," Atlas said. "He's so defensive that he gives you a chance to go to work. Pacquiao's hand speed gives him an opportunity to outhustle Mayweather and grab some rounds ... Floyd's great, but Pacquiao has a chance."