Pacquiao and Mayweather: differences in defining greatness

Floyd Mayweather, Jr., in his body language, held no ounce of doubt that he would be victorious Saturday night. It was a flawless win.

Among his advantages:

1. Junior middleweight fighting size on Saturday (he refused to have HBO weigh him on their unofficial scales right before the fight), several weight classes above Juan Manuel Marquez, who earned his bread and butter in the 130 lb. super featherweight division.
2. A 72" reach advantage over Marquez's 67"
3. Footwork, and shoulder roll defense. Floyd moves away and rolls with the punches thrown at him, minimizing their impact.

Defining Greatness

Current pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and re-entrant Floyd Mayweather, Jr. define greatness in different ways. Given "Money's" defensive wizardry, it would not be unreasonable to peg him as an early 2.5 - 1 favorite on Manny, should the latter beat Miguel Cotto in November. Pacquiao may well lose to Floyd, but there is an essential and critical difference between the two. Pacquiao is gunning for his seventh title in a seventh different weight class. No one in the entire history of the sport has ever accomplished such a feat. Manny has simply reached his full potential as an athlete. As a man and as a contributing citizen of society, Manny is also attaining his full potential by becoming a generous philanthropist, industrialist, and inspiration for hard work, honor, and service.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. attains greatness in a different light. "Pretty Boy" may ultimately have a perfect record throughout his entire career - perhaps retiring for good with say a 44 - 0 record. A flawless, defeatless track sheet. A defensive genius that he is, he may yet have fallen short of his full, God-given potential. The Shane Mosleys, Paul Williams, Andre Bertos - competitors who would have brought out the best in Mayweather - may not have afforded the Michigan-native that opportunity, because he never took on the ultimate challenge. And despite his masterful conquests in the ring, Floyd has ways to go in reaching his potential as a man. He has ways to go in the maturation process. His ego still needs to be contained, with return to fundamental healthy and upright values of humility and dignifying other people, lest he continue his downward slope of financial self-destruction and personal sabotage.

Evolutionary Cycle

It is suggested by some psychologists that a person's evolution of identity and maturation process takes place in seven-year cycles. Choices define all of us. Pacquiao, in the middle of his fifth evolutionary cycle, is choosing to face the toughest ring challenges, and to improve his country in any way he can. Mayweather, in the middle of his fifth evolutionary cycle, has a choice to make as to which path he wants to take in the ring. Only he can decide his ultimate fate, and those decisions will be how he will have define himself. Outside of the ring, he will live a much more fuller life if he embraces and lives out life qualities that have been promulgated from the ancient philosophers all the way to the founding fathers of his country: finding joy in the simplest things, strength through gentleness, character, service, charity, and striving for something greater than yourself.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-4514-Houston-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m9d21-Pacquiao-and-Mayweather-differences-in-defining-greatness