Boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. believes Floyd Mayweather will win against Manny Pacquiao in their upcoming showdown on May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Chavez said that Pacquiao has not been the same fighter since he absorbed a devastating sixth-round knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth showdown in December 2013.
The Mexican boxing icon said that Pacquiao can still make the fight interesting, but he sees Mayweather winning against his rival in their much-awaited showdown, which is expected to set boxing records in terms of revenue.
"Although he is not does at his best, after the knockout Pacquiao had with Juan Manuel Pacquiao, it is still a very interesting fight," Chavez said in an interview with Golpe a Golpe via BoxingScene. "But if I had to bet, I would bet on Floyd Mayweather."
Chavez pointed out, though, that Mayweather should not let his guards down as Pacquiao has the ability to pull off an upset, considering the fact that the Filipino boxing icon is very eager to hand the reigning pound-for-pound king the first defeat of his boxing career.
"Pacquiao is so hungry, so eager to beat Mayweather," Chavez added. "I see this as a tough fight for Mayweather if Pacquiao comes out with this aggressive, killer instinct, which we've always used to see him have in the past."
Pacquiao, who is coming off a dominating victory against Chris Algieri, knows that most analysts and boxing icons are predicting a victory for Mayweather. But like before when he was still a relatively-unknown fighter, Pacquiao said that he will go all out to prove his doubters wrong.
"This is just like any other fight I had before," Pacquiao told reporters after a training session in the Philippines. "I've been in this kind of situation many times in my previous fights. It doesn't scare me. I love being the underdog. It even motivates me to train hard and go for the crown."
Pacquiao, who holds a 57-5-2 record with 38 knockouts, will put his World Boxing Organization welterweight title on the line, while Mayweather, who has a perfect 47-0 record with 28 knockouts, will stake his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association welterweight title on the line in their upcoming fight.
