Mayweather-Pacquiao fight to answer most crucial questions

Floyd Mayweather Jr. made the announcement on his Shots page, a social media network that includes a bully-free zone. Chris Brown need not apply.

That was 71 days and 1,700 hours and 4,260 minutes and 255,600 seconds ago.

Just what this circus needs. More zeros.

Every storyline has been told, every angle covered, every poem of Floyd Mayweather Sr. examined for its context and genre.

Surprisingly, the last part didn’t take long.

But when you consider how many trees fell to properly script the prelude for Mayweather Jr. fighting Manny Pacquiao tonight at the MGM Grand Garden, you would think all questions have been answered.

Not the most important ones.

“The fight is already won,” Mayweather Sr. said. “Trust me.”

I don’t trust anyone who rhymes in the third person.

Six years in the waiting. Almost three months of unparalleled hype.

Still, mysteries exist.

It’s not near over, and specific plots will determine if Mayweather advances his perfection to 48-0 or Pacquiao alerts the Philippines to prepare for the biggest celebratory parade ever witnessed on the island country in Southeast Asia.

Can you imagine how much Buboy would cry then?

A more significant question: Mayweather … stand and fight or run and hide?

First things first. Whatever each side said publicly about strategy the past few months is less truthful than the kid with icing on his face who denies eating the cupcake.

Nobody played any early hands here.

But you don’t need LASIK surgery to notice the difference in size, that Mayweather is taller and longer and will weigh more tonight. He was 146 pounds on Friday, part of arguably the craziest weigh-in scene in boxing history when 11,500 paid customers rolled into the Grand Garden, ate popcorn and lost their minds for two guys standing on a scale in their boxer shorts. It was incredibly surreal.

Mayweather also will rehydrate to much more before entering the ring, probably near the mid-150s or higher. Pacquiao weighed 145 on Friday and probably won’t be much more when the bell sounds.

“We’re prepared to fight if that’s what Floyd comes to do, and if he runs, we will cut the ring off,” said Freddie Roach, trainer to Pacquiao. “I think he’s going to come at us right away and go for the knockout. He put on a lot of muscle. I don’t think his legs are there anymore to run for 12 rounds. We will catch him.”

Pacquiao hasn’t scored a knockout win since 2009. He lacks power at 147. His best chance will be to own the advantage in volume punching, but that’s asking him to out-box the guy who never gets out-boxed.

Which brings us to another unanswered query:

Can Pacquiao win a decision in Mayweather’s hometown and arena?

Bob Bennett is a former marine and FBI agent who now serves as executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission. He is said to be a bit paranoid around anyone with a recording device.

He also appointed two judges from Nevada of the three chosen to grade the fight. Dave Moretti lives in Las Vegas and Burt Clements in Reno. The third, Glenn Feldman, is from Connecticut.

It seems few in either camp have issue with Kenny Bayless being chosen as referee, other than the part about his tendency in past Mayweather fights to break things up too soon when punches are still being thrown.

But you’re telling me Bennett couldn’t nominate one international judge competent enough to work this massive a fight? He couldn’t, merely to avoid any charges of hometown favoritism should a controversial decision go in Mayweather’s favor, limit his selections to one judge from Nevada? It seems such a shortsighted decision, no matter how impressive the resumes of Moretti and Clements might be.

This will be the 11th straight fight for Mayweather at the MGM Grand.

He has won eight of the past 10 by decision.

“I think everybody’s game plan against me is to come forward and throw a lot of punches,” Mayweather said. “I mean, whatever they think works, it hasn’t worked in 19 years and 47 fights. That’s been everyone’s game plan. If that is (Pacquiao’s) game plan, we’ll just have to see how everything works out.”

Could it work out in a way that we see this matchup again?

The “R” word has come up often this week, but you figure any chance at a rematch is dependent on two outcomes: Pacquiao wins or the fight is scored a draw. A victory by Mayweather would almost assuredly conclude this tale as a solo act.

“I’ve just been through the most hellish time of my promotional career and you want to send me in for more cruel and unusual punishment,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “I’m protected against that by the Constitution of the United States.”

There are no more angles and hopefully no more poems.

Not until we see what the fight that was never going to be made but finally was gives the world.

Tonight, the most important questions are finally answered.

A hellish time, is right.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. His new show, “Seat and Ed,” debuts Monday on KRLV 1340 and will be heard from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.