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Blog: Mayweather, Pacquiao face off at sole meeting before big fight

Big turnout for lone press event before fight week in Las Vegas

Pacquiao-Mayweather Jr. Boxing

Jae C. Hong / AP

Boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao attend a news conference Wednesday, March 11, 2015, in Los Angeles. The two are scheduled to fight in Las Vegas on May 2.

Updated Wednesday, March 11, 2015 | 4:56 p.m.

Mayweather-Pacquiao Media Day

Boxer Manny Pacquiao shadow boxes during a commercial shoot in Los Angeles Wednesday, March 11, 2015. Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are scheduled to fight Saturday, May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.  ---  Chris Farina - Top Rank Launch slideshow »

The staredown that the boxing world waited more than five years to see lasted 15 seconds.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Manny Pacqiuao met face-to-face today at the Nokia Theater for the first time since announcing their long awaited May 2 mega-fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Hundreds of cameras shuttered in the 7,000-seat venue as the fighters kicked off their sole press conference with boxing’s traditional pre-fight pose.

Pacquiao eventually backed away while Mayweather continued to sport an intense glare.

“I never wanted to win a fight so bad in my life,” the undefeated Mayweather (47-0) said shortly afterwards when he took the podium.

Pacquiao (57-5-2) was less outspoken during his address. He spent most of his time praising God and thanking the Filipino people but also made a promise to the fans.

“This is what you’ve been waiting for since five years ago,” Pacquiao said. “The fight is on and you’re very excited, I’m very excited. Both of us are having hard training for this fight, and we will do our best on May 2nd to make you happy.”

Pacquiao and Mayweather spent a couple hours apiece in downtown Los Angeles promoting what most are calling the biggest bout in boxing history. They walked a red carpet and met with a group of writers before finishing off the day with the press conference, which aired on several channels including ESPN.

The fighters were mostly civil, leaving their trainers to produce the most aggressive quotes and sound bites.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for so many years,” said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer. “We’re fighting the best fighter in the world, and we’re going to kick his (butt).”

Mayweather’s father and head coach, Floyd Mayweather Sr., was dismissive of his rival from the start of the event.

“What do you do to a roach,” Mayweather Sr. asked reporters before answering himself. “Spray him.”

Check below for the Sun’s live blog of the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao press conference and come back later for more coverage.

The biggest fight in the history of boxing lacks one thing that almost every forbearer had in the build-up — a press tour.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Manny Pacquiao will meet the media just once ahead of their May 2 mega-fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. They’ll give their only comments this afternoon at a press conference at the Nokia Theater in the downtown L.A. Live complex.

Given the incessant half decade-plus of anticipation, the two most decorated prizefighters of the generation and their camps felt anything more would be unnecessary. They’re running out of time anyway.

Six weeks are all that remains until Mayweather and Pacquiao make their grand entrances for a fight week that many had resigned would never happen. A prolonged negotiation period bringing together parties as disparate as Showtime and HBO and Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum and Mayweather’s adviser Al Haymon is the main reason for the short time table.

Expect Mayweather and Pacquiao to touch on that topic as well as everything else relating to a bout projected to smash all records. Mayweather is scheduled to arrive first for a small breakout session with reporters at the top of the hour. Pacquiao follows at Noon.

They’ll then meet on stage at 1:30 for the formal event in front of the entire assembled media corps.

We’ll live blog every step of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao media day, so follow along below and check back to lasvegassun.com for more coverage.

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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