It fooled many people for the same reason many of the PPV are purchased. FOMO... fear of missing out. Its kind of a common social phenomena when it trumps logic. Its the same reason little kids look up directly into an eclipse when when they are told not too.

I believe the writing was on the wall for most of the boxing fans and those that have been watching the situation for a while.
- I was at the time a floyd fan for many years up until that point and convinced floyd was too much for manny because manny (and especially the way he set up his punches) was too predictable... Worked off the jab, flicked it as a range finder and used it to get his opponents back up before following with the uppercut or left
- Erik Morales of all people beat manny by turning him with a jab all night whenever he set up off the jab.
- At the time it should have happened. Manny was tearing through fighters because freddy changed his approach by managing his attack angles and in an out attacks. This worked on most every fighter because they were a touch slower than him and even then ones that maybe could match him for speed weren't defensive fighters. A guy like mosely was fast but in bursts and counted on you sitting in the pocket so he could counter you. Manny was gone by the time Mosely knew what hit him and began his counter.
- Floyd started all this business about testing and accusing manny of being a roided up freak that defied nature by carrying power up through the ranks. The entire Mayweather clan got in on it. Spouting nonsense that ceased making sense-- see Rog's crack fueled "A side Meth" paranoia. At the time I felt like pac should just take the test and make the fight happen so we could see the fight and what floyd was doing was good for the sport and it didnt matter because floyd would beat him anyway-- I had friends calling for floyd to just waive whatever and fight manny and beat him even if he was juicing to prove he was the best. I bought the clean sport propaganda. In retrospect, I realize now that Floyd was scared of losing not just to a juicer but anyone. It went from testing, to the split, to network issues, to manny needing money etc etc. for all the reasons floyd shouldn't fight him. This alone to me meant if the fight was going to happen, that floyd was going to spoil his way through the fight by tying manny's hands up after landing first similar to the way Holyfield had smothered Tyson.
- At the points after that, it became apparent who was taking on all comers (it honestly felt like Manny would don a pair of Gene Simmons Platform shoes and challenge Paul Williams) and who was clutching their zero while being forced to fight.
- Manny's Injuries and cramping issues had started becoming more frequent and he seemed to be more and more deliberately dismissive of marquez making a case that he had/could beat manny.
- Floyd seemed more desperate to keep his zero, resorting to prefight stips, Vegas home court advantage, suckerpunching ortiz... all the time while campaigning harder than ever and flaunting his money more.
- Manny gets knocked unconcious by marquez and it was apparent that he would never be the same after that. Immediately, the fight seems more appetizing to floyd than ever.
- Then all business before the fight with floyd just trying to exert leverage over every facet. Even buying out mannys sparring partners.
- Freddy outright denying every rumor of pac injuries but not seeming to be working on anything special against floyd.
- It all started to seem like a cover to preserve profits.