by Rico Aguirre
It is quite often that a myth is created regarding a fighter and that the myth does unquestionably alter many aspects about the pugilist in question. He is seen in a light that only adds to incredible acts they perform in the squared circle. For example, Julio Cesar Chavez is regarded as a classical pressure fighter that took three punches to land one, when in reality his hip and head movement gave him a very solid defense that allowed him to hit and to not be hit. 
Today’s elite fighters are not immune to these myths as we can see when looking at the careers of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Which may invariably be the reason why the boxing community so desperately wants to see what happens when these two gladiators finally meet in the arena.
Floyd Mayweather is classified as a skilled, slick fighter that wins by running from his opponents. In fac,t Freddie Roach went so far as to say that Floyd’s legs are gone, making him an easier victory for Manny. Nothing could be further from the truth. Floyd, instead, relies on skill and athleticism to stay in the pocket and counter throughout the fight. If anything, his footwork is slight and extremely efficient.
Mayweather has shown that he will stand in front of his opponents and frustrate them with a very complete form of defense. He has relied on his defense to frustrate Marquez, Mayweather, Ortiz, and Cotto. His opponents. though they may have momentary successes, fall into his trap where he counters them with his versatile right and his lethal left.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, is classified as a complete fighter. However, to date, he has shown to be prone to feints, unable to cut off the ring, and has demonstrated poor balance. By no means is he a flawed or limited fighter as his offense is as deadly as it is impressive. The myth in truth does not understand that the real strength of Manny Pacquaio is his unpredictability.
Though Manny has improved vastly as a fighter, it is unjust to not appreciate his chaotic style. He has in truth been a misunderstood fighter for most of his career. When he came to the United State,s very few trainers had the vision to see he could develop into the phenomenon that he is today.
It is a natural tendency for man to add to the achievements of those that reach a certain level of greatness. When the select few reach the summit all their past shortcomings are either forgotten or overlooked as they have transcended mortality. Their acts seem godlike and, at least in sports, we look for challenge that answers just how great the fighter is.
In essence, it can be argued that Floyd represents the Apollonian (order) and Manny represents the Dionysian (Chaos). This may very well be the reason why the match up is so compelling and mythological to fans worldwide. The boxing world wants to see what happens when the biggest forces in the universe do collide? They want to see what happens when an unstoppable missile collides with an unmovable wall.
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