By Allan Fox: Manny Pacquiao is still pushing for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr seven years after losing to him in 2015.
The problem is Mayweather has aged more rapidly than Pacquiao, and has lost the blinding hand speed that he once had. Floyd looks elderly both inside and outside the ring, and he’s not going to want to get in with a much faster, more youthful Pacquiao and get machine-gunned an early exit.
The years haven’t been kind to Mayweather in terms of physical aging, but he’s wealthy, and he’s got a good hustle going with his exhibition matches against social media influencers.
Manny, 43, wants to fight Mayweather in a real fight, not an exhibition, because he feels there are a lot of unanswered questions after their clash years ago. That was a fight Pacquiao fought with an injured shoulder and wasn’t 100% healthy to deal with Floyd’s boxing ability.
Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) still wants a rematch with Floyd despite his about to turn 46 in February and having been retired for five years since 2017.
“I’m willing to have a real fight with him, not an exhibition,” said Manny Pacquiao to Fighthype about wanting a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. “We need to answer those questions in the minds of the fans.
“I was affected the first year because people were asking me ‘when it the rematch?’” said Pacquiao about the impact his 2015 loss to Mayweather had on him. “Up until now, they’re asking when is the rematch with Mayweather.”
Mayweather has no reason to give Pacquiao a rematch because he’s making good money fighting exhibition matches against some of the most popular YouTubers, who take advantage of their millions of followers to make big money fighting boxing matches.
It doesn’t matter that many boxing fans don’t bother purchasing Mayyweather’s exhibition matches. The YouTuber’s followers are ordering the PPV exhibition matches, so Mayweather doesn’t have to worry about keeping up his fan base by fighting quality opposition.
If Mayweather were still boxing, he would be receiving diminishing returns if he fought low-level opposition that had no fan base. But by taking on YouTubers, Mayweather can take advantage of their followers and make easy money fighting low-level fighters with no skills or aptitude for the sport.
Pacquiao lost to Mayweather by the scores of 116-112, 116-112, and 118-110. Although Pacquiao attempted to get an immediate rematch, Mayweather wasn’t interested, and he continues to have no desire to fight him again.
“I told them, ‘I don’t think he’ll fight again. He’s scared to death to have a rematch with me.’ That’s my analysis. He doesn’t want to fight me again,” said Pacquiao.
