Mayweather vs. Pacquiao the latest 'Fight of century'

USA Today | April 28, 2015

Jack Johnson (left) retained his world heavyweight title with a K.O. of James Jeffries in the 15th round on July 7, 1910. (Photo by FPG/Getty Images)

There’s a big boxing match coming Saturday night. Perhaps you’ve heard. They’re calling it the “Fight of the century,” although centuries typically come with, oh, let’s say a dozen of ’em.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao is officially a welterweight world unification title bout. But how do you sell a mouthful like that for $99.95? “Fight of the century” — the very familiarity of the phrase disproving its premise — is simple and saleable, a neat encapsulation of one of the fight game’s enduring core principles: Hype.