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Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao: Pacquiao to make public appearance with 'Pacman', his pet Jack Russell

The welterweight rivals were both due to attend the traditional grand arrival that marks the beginning of fight week only for Pacquiao to withdraw, claiming the event is a 'waste of time'

Tuesday 28 April 2015 09:17 BST

Manny Pacquiao (GETTY IMAGES)

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will make their first public appearances of the week on Tuesday as their £330million showdown draws ever closer.

Boxing fans have already begun pouring into Las Vegas to taste the atmosphere building around the richest fight in history, even though only 500 tickets for the clash were made available for general sale.

Pacquiao will launch the day by hosting a fans' rally at the Mandalay Bay casino hotel with trainer Freddie Roach, promoter Bob Arum and his pet Jack Russell 'Pacman' also present.

Attention then turns to the MGM Grand, the venue for the fight which will unfold in the early hours of Sunday morning and where Mayweather will be making his grand arrival.

Manny Pacquiao with his dog - 'PacMan' - in 2014 (GETTY IMAGES)

The welterweight rivals were both due to attend the traditional grand arrival that marks the begins of fight week only for Arum to withdraw Pacquiao, claiming the event is a "waste of time".

Arum also pulled the plug on a media conference call with Pacquiao last week before a question had been asked, while Mayweather spoke for almost half an hour the following night. The one upmanship is sure to continue until fight day.

Mayweather is the clear favourite to win but born again Christian Pacquiao would be a far more popular winner with Roach going as far as to describe the fight as a battle of "good versus evil".

Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

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1/10Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

Mike Tyson (Pacquiao)

Iron Mike thinks Pacquiao will win because he throws more punches. "Floyd doesn't throw anywhere near 100 punches a round. He is more of a scientific fighter, he really plots a lot, he poses whereas Pacquiao is feinting and moving around. That's just my opinion, Pacquiao has perpetual motion he's all over the god damn place."

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Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

George Foreman (Pacquiao)

"If we’ve got good judges this time, it's go Pacquiao," said Foreman. "Mayweather starts off early kind of looking for his timing and ... Pacquiao will pot shot him and get ahead on points and he’ll stay ahead. He’ll slow down later on and Mayweather will take on the more aggression but he doesn’t have a right hand. He’ll hurt his right hand. He can't get a knockout. So he’ll just have to cruise on in and win or lose the fight just by a couple of points."

Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

Oscar De La Hoya (Pacquiao)

De La Hoya, who has fought both, nods in Pacquaio's direction...but only "if he can start well in the first two rounds, then the fight can go in his direction."

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Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

Ricky Hatton (Mayweather...just)

Hatton said: "Manny has been in some real wars and that gives Floyd the slight advantage."

Jon Super

Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

Nigel Benn (Mayweather)

Benn: "This fight is going to make Mayweather who he is. I believe that he has not got the recognition."

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Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

Kell Brook (Mayweather)

"I'm leaning towards Floyd Mayweather," Brook said. "He's never lost before, he knows how to win and it's in Vegas. I think Mayweather is going to control the pace and I think he's too clever for Manny Pacquiao."

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Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

Amir Khan (Mayweather)

"Mayweather will be smart and keep moving, so I think he will get a good unanimous win," Khan said.

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Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

Shane Mosley (Mayweather)

"I think Mayweather’s going to out-point Pacquiao by moving, evading punches, and being able to do combinations and stuff like that," Mosley said.

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Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

Miguel Cotto (Pacquiao)

"I'm rooting for Manny Pacquiao. I think the quickness of Manny is going to have a big impact on Floyd's performance," he said.

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Mayweather or Pacquiao? Boxing greats and current fighters make their predictions

Ronda Rousey (Pacquiao)

The unbeaten UFC fighter is backing Paquiao.

Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

However, long-serving pound-for-pound king Mayweather views the reality that many fans want to see him fail as subordinate to his pursuit of wealth.

"I believe in self-preservation. Me first, then everyone else. But me first. Nobody is going to love Floyd Mayweather like Floyd Mayweather," Mayweather said.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Floyd Mayweather lives for Floyd Mayweather, no matter what anyone says.

"A business mind - whether you pay to see me win or pay to see me lose, you're paying and I'm collecting."

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