Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will fight one another on May 2 in arguably the most anticipated fight of the 21st century.

These two Welterweight champions are being compared from every aspect imaginable. From Pacquiao's southpaw stance and hard hitting power, to Mayweather's undefeated record and exceptional speed. There's no doubt about it, Mayweather and Pacquiao have given boxing fans around the world everything they can wish for in recent memory, and more.

As betters and odd makers continue to make their predictions, size is beginning to play more of a factor.

While speed, power and athleticism are all up for debate, there's no argument on who has the edge in size. Mayweather is clearly the bigger boxer in this fight. To what extent that plays in the outcome, remains to be seen.

Mayweather is 5-foot-8, while Pacquiao stands 5-foot-6 and a half. To make things even more difficult for the Filipino southpaw, Mayweather also has an edge in reach as well. Mayweather has a reach of 72 inches, but Pacquiao's reach is 67, thus giving Mayweather a five-inch reach advantage in the championship fight.

One of the most famous boxing matches in recent memory where size played a crucial factor was between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis in 2002. Although Tyson was viewed as the knockout artist who could drop anyone at any given time, Lewis won the match by knocking out Tyson in the eighth round. Tyson tried to get in close with his 71-inch reach, but Lewis' 84-inch reach was far too much for Tyson to handle.

Will that happen here? Unlikely because Mayweather doesn't have an outstanding 13-inch reach advantage, and he isn't viewed as knockout phenom. But, the reality is Pacquiao is facing an uphill battle against Mayweather because he is shorter and he can't stretch out further to score points.

If Pacquiao is going to win on May 2, he has to get in close and be willing trade blows with Mayweather. Pacquiao is a tough boxer. He knows in order to win, and potentially get a knockout he has to utilize his strength even if it means getting hit. Trainer Freddie Roach will have to devise a unique strategy to offset Mayweather's speed.

We also can't ignore Pacquiao's speed. He may not have the elite speed and swiftness of Mayweather, but he is one quick individual. It will be critical for Pacquiao to stay mobile at all times because Mayweather has good endurance, and will most likely try to win by points. The toughest thing about facing Mayweather is trapping him because he always finds a way to escape. If Pacquiao can find a way to get Mayweather in the corner, he may be able to land that powerful left hook.

Although Mayweather has an indisputable advantage in height and reach, it should be mentioned that Pacquiao has a two-year edge in age. Will Mayweather find the fountain of youth on May 2, or will Pacquiao dethrone the undefeated champion?

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