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Manny Pacquiao

LOS ANGELES. — Former world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman has backed Manny Pacquiao to defeat unbeaten Floyd Mayweather in their welterweight showdown in Las Vegas.

The two are set to go toe-to-toe at the MGM Grand on May 2 with American Mayweather the odds-on favourite for the fight.

But Foreman, who suffered his first career defeat against Muhammad Ali in the “Rumble in the Jungle”, has thrown his backing behind Pacquiao while expressing his concerns for Mayweather if he loses the “super fight”.

“I think Pacquiao to win six rounds, the seventh will be kind of even. Mayweather will come on in the last rounds but it will be too late. The fight will be won by a single round,” said Foreman.

“Mayweather starts off early looking for a rhythm, Pacquiao will pop him early on, he will tire and Mayweather will come on in the later rounds but he will lose.

“It’s going to be a fantastic, amazing boxing match. It will live up to all the hype, it really will.”

Foreman knows through bitter experience the impact on a fighter who goes into a major bout unbeaten and comes out a loser.

It took Foreman 15 months to enter the ring again after losing to Ali in 1974, his first defeat after 40 career wins.

“I’m the one guy who knows what it’s like to be undefeated going into a fight like that and to be knocked off that pedestal,” added Foreman.

“Pacquiao has it a little better. He is already picked as the underdog. There’s not a whole lot of pressure on him.

“But when you have never lost before in a fight of this magnitude, there’s so much pressure on you, more pressure than you have ever had before, more pressure than on any other athlete right now.”

It was 1991 before Foreman again fought for a world title and it was not until 1994, just over two decades after losing to Ali, before Foreman reclaimed the title when he beat Michael Moorer to become the oldest champion in heavyweight history at the age of 45.

“You lose your perspective on who you are as a human being,” said Foreman, saying that could be a reason why a rematch would not take place.

“This could devastate him (Mayweather) as a boxer, not as a man but as a boxer. He might have to go out in the country somewhere if he lost.”

Meanwhile, The fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao has sold out in less than a minute, with tickets immediately making their way onto resale sites.

Only 1 000 tickets were made available to fans for the highly-anticipated clash at the MGM-Grand in Las Vegas on May 2.

The remainder of the seats for the 16 500-capacity venue will be made available to the media, sponsors and promoters.

An impasse between the promoters meant the contract between the two fighters was only signed on Wednesday, leading to the delay in issuing tickets.

But there was never any doubt the event, between two of the greatest fighters in boxing history, would prove immensely popular with the public.

It only remains to be seen just how much fight fans will be prepared to pay for a ticket on resale sites, with early indications showing they are being offered for around £47 000 each. — Sky Sports.