Why the world has waited for Floyd-Manny

Floyd Mayweather will take an undefeated record into his fight against Manny Pacquiao. Photo / Getty

With Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather poised to go toe-to-toe in the richest match-up in boxing history, Telegraph Sport highlights why this is the fight we all want.

1. Pacquiao v Mayweather is the fight that will have the world watching and is the contest that fans have demanded for so long.

Each sits at both ends of a spectrum: Pacquiao is the boxing philanthropist who wants to rid his country of poverty while Mayweather is the 'money' man who has already amassed over $400 million in career earnings.

Just the thought of Pacquiao v Mayweather summons up other great pairings in boxing history: Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier, Jack Dempsey v Gene Tunney, Sugar Ray Robinson v Jake LaMotta. This meeting can be an epochal moment.

2. The parallel paths of their careers has led to a collision course, a clash of styles, cultures and beliefs. Mayweather became a world champion for the first time as WBC super-featherweight champion in 1998, and has risen up the weight divisions concurrently with Manny Pacquiao, who became the WBC flyweight champion in the same year. The fight has seemed destined to take place.

3. The contest affords Mayweather the opportunity to re-enforce that he is the best boxer, pound-for-pound, in the world. Mayweather is the undefeated, defensive master, while Pacquiao is the bustling, aggressive, all-out action fighter. At 47-0 with 26 knockouts, Mayweather, calls himself 'TBE', The Best Ever. This fight enables him, if he wins it, to stamp his name on this era of boxing.

Mayweather is a five-division world champion, the winner of 10 world titles, and twice has been named Ring Magazine 'Fighter of the Year'.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, is the only boxer ever to win titles in eight different weight divisions, from flyweight, to light-middleweight. But Pacquiao - 57-5-2 - has lost five times. Each time he has returned, stronger, more determined. Mayweather has not been fully tested in the ring in recent years. Pacquiao could be the man to push him to the limit.

4. It is almost guaranteed to break every boxing box office record: the all-time pay-per-view buy record of 2.4 million buys - for Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya; the pay-per-view revenue record of $150m from the Mayweather-Saúl Álvarez fight and the all-time gate record of $20m Mayweather-Álvarez. It is estimated that the fight will gross a quarter of a billion US dollars.

5. Because of the length of the pre-fight build-up - getting on for six years. A Mayweather-Pacquiao fight was first discussed in 2009. It was first scheduled for March 13, 2010, but the Filipino refused to agree to the American's demands for Olympic-style drug testing, and subsequently talks fell apart.

6. Because of the glamour such an occasion demands, and it will draw the world's most famous celebrities in attendance at ringside. Mike Tyson drew a great celebrity cast when he fought, and if you go back to the 'Fight of the Century' in 1971 between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden, Frank Sinatra was even accredited as a ringside photographer for Life magazine, as he was unable to get a seat. Expect that level of celebrity demand.

Celebrity boxing fans include Jay Z, Sean Combs, Mark Wahlberg and Jeremy Piven who are frequent visitors to the LA Gym, The Wild Card, where Pacquiao trains. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are regulars at ringside, but the plush seats will be much in demand for this one with red carpet stars aplenty from music, film, and other sports.

7. So that it does not enter into the annals of 'The Greatest Fights Boxing Fans Never Saw'. It would be a disgrace if it entered that list, joining the possible match-ups like Jake LaMotta v Rocky Graziano, and Riddick Bowe v Lennox Lewis which were consigned to dust. In the same way that it will bring global significance, if the fight fails to go ahead for any reason, it would tarnish boxing, and in a significant way.

8. Because they are growing old. Mayweather is 38 on Feb 24, and Pacquiao is 37 in December.

9. Finally, because it's a great story. Pacquiao fought as a teenager to feed his family, sending a dollar at a time back to his mother. The people of the Philippines adore him, and the fact that he is a politician there. In contrast, Mayweather has had his purist boxing style taught to him by the old school. But outside the ring, he is more like a pop icon, a society rebel grooming an image which makes him as loathed as he is loved.