The projected rematch between welterweight boxing icons Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao might never happen. This was after the retired Mayweather recently spoke out against coming back to the ring and fighting again.
The 39-year-old Mayweather (49-0, 26 KO) declared in an interview with Fox Sports that he is an "old man," after speculation arose of a possible rematch due to Pacquiao un-retiring and making his in-ring return on November. The fighter from Grand Rapids also said he is just "being smart" and taking care of his physical health. His last fight was almost one year ago, which he won against Andre Berto via a 12-round unanimous decision.
Mayweather has always been non-committal with regard to a possible Pacquiao rematch. However, the fighter nicknamed "Money" had previously said that he was open to a return, provided that a lot of money is put on the table. The Pacquiao fight raked in 4.6 million pay-per-view buys, which almost doubled the previous record of 2.4 million that "Money" was also involved in, versus Oscar De La Hoya in 2007. It was estimated that Mayweather took home $250 million from the Pacquiao fight alone, thereby fueling speculations that he has to be guaranteed more than that in order to be coaxed out of retirement for a rematch.
There have been rumors of Mayweather squaring off against Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) loudmouth Conor McGregor in a boxing-versus-MMA event under boxing rules, as stated in a report by BoxingNews24. The rumors have gone down since McGregor is scheduled to compete in UFC 202 in a rematch against Nate Diaz.
In the world of boxing, nothing is final until both fighters are in the ring and the opening bell is rung. Mayweather could very well be enticed to come back to fight Pacquiao, especially if the Filipino champion does well in his bout against Vargas. It can be noted that Pacquiao announced his retirement in the ring after beating Timothy Bradley in their third fight, only to announce his comeback just a few months after winning in his Philippine senatorial bid last May. Mayweather could be cold to the idea of a rematch now, but that tune could change in a few months.
Here are highlights of Mayweather-Pacquiao.