Mayweather drops hints at Pacquiao rematch
Floyd Mayweather Jr. dropped some enticing hints regarding his possible rematch with Manny Pacquiao this year.
Mayweather speaks on rematch
The eight-division world champion previously announced the exhibition fight during a RIZIN event in Japan last January.
“I hope to see you here in Japan again with a big fight against…” Pacquiao said, before pausing.
RIZIN president Nobuyuki Sakakibara announced: “Floyd Mayweather.”
Mayweather neither confirmed nor deny the possible rematch, but he said Pacquiao shouldn’t have disclosed that news.
“When Manny Pacquiao spoke about that, he shouldn’t have,” Mayweather told the Pivot Podcast. “I’m not gonna say he’s right and I’m not gonna say he’s wrong.”
“Just by him saying my name they gave me a cheque for $4million.”
Floyd is still the “face of boxing”
The undefeated boxer reminded everyone that he defeated Pacquiao in their last May 2015 fight.
The Pacquiao-Mayweather bout set a total record of 4.6 million pay-per-view sales in the United States and generated $600 million in revenue.
“But remember – he got famous because they said he could be the guy that could possibly dethrone the king. Did it happen? Absolutely not. Was it easy? Absolutely,” he said.
Mayweather hung up his gloves in 2017 after his fight with UFC star Connor McGregor, while Pacquiao also retired in 2021 after absorbing a decision defeat against Yordenis Ugas.
Both fighters have participated in exhibition matches after retiring from professional boxing.
“I’m really still the face of boxing,” Mayweather said. “I’m appreciative for guys like ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard – so many guys who paved the way for me. But there’s only one Floyd Mayweather. These fighters are not better than me.
“Young fighters, coaches and managers say, ‘Oh you’re better than Floyd, you’re better than Floyd’. That’s good; that’s motivation for the fighter; you can tell him that. But deep in his heart? He don’t believe that.”