Manny Pacquiao throws a left at Floyd Mayweather Jr. during their welterweight unification championship bout on May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo : Al Bello/Getty Images)
Could 2017 be the year when two of the most anticipated fights take place? A rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao could actually happen while Gennady "GGG" Golovkin may finally get his shot against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
The main reason why both fights could take place at the same year is each other. If one of the bouts is finalized, the other mega-bout could take place to contend for fight of the year. In the end, the sport of boxing will be the winner.
There are many reasons why Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2 could happen in 2017. The most compelling is age. Both fighters are simply not getting any younger- Money is actually retired at this stage.
Aside from their physical ages, they should also consider that fight fans may lose interest the longer they hold out. Pacquiao has made his comeback fight, but Mayweather is unlikely to have his own-he'll just come out of retirement for a big money fight as he always declared and that could only be against Pacquiao or possibly Gennady Golovkin (there's no way Mayweather will fight Golovkin).
We can't say that Mayweather is not interested. TMZ quoted Bob Arum who revealed that Money asked for tickets to watch the Pacquiao fight.
"Floyd called us and asked for tickets," Arum says, "It's a great sign. I'd love for the fight to happen. I'd make it 75% that it happens."
Ever the promoter, Arum teases once more. "Based on my experience, I feel like [Floyd's] getting the itch to come back."
Another takeaway on that quote is that Mayweather and Arum are communicating-something that took years to happen during the half-decade wait for the first Pacman-Mayweather bout. There is no reason to wait until 2018 for the rematch, or for Pacquiao to fight another opponent (even if they keep talking about it) as it is clear this is the fight he wants.
The age card is also applicable for Gennady Golovkin, but he is still considered as a fighter in his peak. He is the one pushing the fight and Canelo has been seen as the "cause of delay."
However, Golden Boy Promotions President Eric Gomez has an encouraging update as shared with LA Daily News.
"I have a meeting next week with Tom Loeffler (general manager of K2 Promotions, which promotes Golovkin}. He's in Europe. When he gets back, we're supposed to meet. We're going to meet with him next week and then continue. Continue our talks, continue negotiations. We want to make the fight."
Gomez did confirm that Canelo is injured with an avulsion fracture of the right thumb but he does not require surgery. Nevertheless, the likely date for the Canelo-GGG fight is September.
Will Canelo-GGG fight in the same year as Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2? Most likely as there is enough motivation for the both fighters. If Mayweather - PacMan is disappointing, it's a chance for Canelo and GGG to close the book on the two legends and declare that "it's our time."
If Mayweather vs Pacquiao somehow lives up to the hype of the first bout, it's a challenge for Canelo and GGG to step up and outdo their predecessors.
