Pacquiao Claims A Mayweather Rematch Is On
Manny Pacquiao has hinted that he could face Floyd Mayweather in a rematch.
The pair had their record-breaking bout in 2015 as Mayweather secured a unanimous decision win. The fight broke PPV records, selling 4.4 million.
“We never had anything to compare it to as we were going through fight week. The prefight numbers were so high they were off the charts. Whether it was going to be 3 million, 3.5 or 4.4 was not something we had a good sense about until Saturday night or Sunday morning,” Stephen Espinoza
“We never even contemplated a number as high as 4.4 million. Never did we contemplate anything over three million,” Mark Taffet
Pacquiao And Mayweather
The victory was clouded by Pacman’s claims that he had injured his shoulder. The fight failed to live up to the competitive nature that fans hoped for. Mayweather would go on to fight Andre Berto before announcing his retirement. While he did return to take on Conor McGregor, a rematch with Pacman never materialized. But now that could be about to change. During RIZIN 45, Manny made a special appearance. When asked about his next steps, he sent fans into a frenzy by saying he will face Mayweather.
Rizin CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara: “Fight against Floyd Mayweather next year?”
Manny: “Yeah, thank you so much for inviting me here again. I’m sorry for the last time that we promised that we’re going to fight this year. Next year I’m going to see you in Japan, again big fight against- Floyd Mayweather. Floyd Mayweather, yeah. I thought that you didn’t want me to say that. But I am excited about that. Thank you for always supporting Rizin and Sakakibara.”
Mayweather’s Silence
Mayweather has yet to confirm if this will proceed, but Manny’s statement suggests an agreement is close. After the Mayweather loss, Manny insisted on securing a rematch. The boxer also controversially claimed he had done enough to win the fight. But at 45, there are question marks over the nature of the fight.
“I thought I won the fight. He didn’t do anything. He was moving around on the outside, so it’s not easy to throw a lot of punches,” Manny
“I’m a calculated fighter – I outboxed him. We did what we had to do. I take my hat off to him. He’s at the pinnacle of boxing and had moments in the fight,” Mayweather
Will it be a professional bout, or will the pair simply have an exhibition? In addition, it also raises questions about Manny’s next steps. The boxer indicated his desire to fight in the Olympics, which begins in Paris 2024. The Filipino is also on course to fight on April 20th, 2024, against Buakaw Banchamek. With so many avenues open for the boxer, will Manny get the Mayweather rematch and avenge his loss?
Further Reaction
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