Does Boxing need the Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquaio fight?

David Haye vs Wladimir Klitschko will arouse much interest in the boxing world but the real fight fans want to see is Manny Pacquaio vs Floyd Mayweather. The hype has been building for years now and boxing audiences are losing patience. My read of the situation is that the promotors are stalling the fight to generate anticipation and generate the biggest grossing box office payperview hit of all time. Pacquaio has cemented his place as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the game by beating big names such as Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Sugar Shane Mosley. Mayweather is undefeated in 40 bouts and is known for his hand speed, tactical nous and ability to close out a fight when an opportunity presents itself. We have had one false alarm with the March 13th 2010 bout being called of on account of the blood testing demands of Mayweather. Some quarters hold the belief that the undefeated champion was 'ducking' the contest in fear of losing his prized, undefeated status,others have suggested that Pacquaio's sudden dominance is inexplicable and that his blood samples require further scrutiny. Boxing fans are not concerned about the ifs,buts and maybes. Boxing fans are focused on the prospect of these two finally, throwing hands after all the publicity.

I would say we need this fight to happen. Boxing does have some exciting fighters but the weakness of its flagship heavyweight division means that fighters in other weights have to step up to the plate. The middleweight divisions are commanding respectable followings thanks to exciting stars such as Carl Froch, Sergio Martinez, Lucien Bute and Julio Cesar Chavez Junior. Despite the excitement of certain divisions there is only one that can put boxing back on the map at the summit of world sport and that is the Welterweight division. Come on Manny, come on Floyd, lets get this show on the road! If only it was that simple.

Wladimir Klitschko vs David Haye

On July 2nd these two boxing powerhouses will stand toe to toe in Hamburg. The build up has been intense and the wait has been unbearable. David Haye has been talking a good game but has seemed slightly less animated than usual at the recent press conferences regarding this super-bout. During the customary 3 minute stare down, Wladimir looked ice cool and eerily calm while Haye looked just a little uneasy. The details of a press conference may seem trivial, but often the demeanour of fighters at these events can give us a glimpse of what to expect come fight night.

Klitschko has a large reach advantage and will look to dictate the fight at a safe distance. Haye has mentioned that the tall Russian has only won in the past because his competitors have been happy to fight at his slow, steady pace, a mistake the British Champion says he will not make. David Haye is an explosive fighter who enjoys a speed advantage over his foes in this weight division. In a glittering Cruiserweight career Haye developed quick hand speed and mesmerising movement, attributes that his opponent does not have.  The fight could go two ways in my eyes.  Haye could well win by K.O. in a relatively short contest by bamboozling his opponent with a barage of rapid combinations. Alternatively Klitschko could win on points by dragging the fight out, using the jab to punish his opponent, whilst evading attacks and sapping Haye's energy.

A lot is at stake for Haye who has made no secret of his intention to retire later this year. No fighter wants to end their career on a losing note and this is particularly true for Haye who is believed  to hold the intention of making money off the back of film roles, books and the like. Retiring as a unified Heavyweight Champion will bolster his legacy to a greater degree than a loss to someone he has repeatedly derided.

Klitschko will look to avenge some of the disrespectful taunts from Haye. Who could forget the T-Shirt Haye wore depicting him holding aloft the heads of Wladimir and his brother Vitali in gladiatorial style.

Will it be the speed of Haye that triumphs or the robotic brutality of Klitschko? I'm going to go for Klitschko on the grounds that his reach advantage should prevent Haye getting inside his jab and unleashing his potent combinations. Hopefully this will be a fight that puts the Heavyweight division on the map once again.