North: Fight of the Century a big dud
Maybe some of the experts were right - the Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fight should have taken place five or six years ago.
Since it didn't, though, we were stuck with a glorified sparring session. Once again Mayweather won the fight on points with a unanimous decision as two judges scored it 116-112 and the other 118-110.
I can't say I was surprised with this snore-fest which reportedly made Mayweather $180 million and Pacquiao $120 million. It was definitely a spectacular event with bright lights, pretty ladies and big-time celebrities such as Tom Brady, Robert De Niro, Mike Tyson, Magic Johnson, Beyoncé and dozens more in attendance.
It has been said that styles make fights, but what they make isn't always pretty and this one wasn't.
Floyd Mayweather is a heck of a businessman and the undefeated fighter (48-0) who threw a few punches, and fought a defensive fight. For that kind of payday, they should have fought each other with swords!
The fight went the distance, though, and the 38-year-old boxer could tie or surpass Rocky Marciano, who at 32 retired from boxing with a 49-0 record.
The champ might be Mayweather, but the people's champ is Pacquiao, who smiled all the way through the weekend. Manny thanked God whenever he could and hugged and thanked Floyd for giving him the opportunity.
It didn't sound like an act and it didn't look like he wanted to hurt anyone, and he didn't.
I've seen some great fights in my lifetime, and the Saturday evening extravaganza wasn't one of them. Mayweather might be a great fighter, but he certainly isn't beloved. He brought millions of dollars to his hometown of Las Vegas with the MGM match, but he just isn't liked.
Consider this: he was booed in his hometown. Between his multiple domestic abuse charges and jail time in his past, he will never be in a class like Muhammad Ali, who was not only beloved and a great fighter, but a cultural icon.
Guys like Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker, Rocky Marciano and George Foreman are fighters who all had the "it" factor.
Mayweather rakes in the cash like no other fighter in history, but will he be a guy who hangs around too long? He will be turning 40 and says he will retire at 49-0 to tie Marciano.
What will Mayweather do for an encore? What will Pacquiao do next? The chances of a rematch between them are slim, and I doubt anyone wants to see one happen.
Who would you rather be now: the beloved Pacquiao or the winner and still unpopular champion, Mayweather?
Program notes:
Follow me on Twitter@ north2north, and listen to Fox Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman and myself from 5-8 a.m. Monday through Friday on Fox Sports radio, and check me out on iHeart radio or Foxsportsradio.com.
• North's column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.