Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao posed for photos in Japan ahead of the RIZIN 38 card this weekend.
As WBN has said many times, Mayweather continually fighting exhibitions leaves the door ajar for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
Will Floyd Mayweather fight Manny Pacquiao again?
Mayweather has teased Pacquiao with a potential rematch since 2016, and WBN believes there’s still a chance it could happen in 2023.
Conor McGregor ruled himself out of a rematch with Floyd when Mayweather said he was available for next year, leaving Pacquiao in a great position.
Since then, RIZIN boss Nobu Sakakibara has teased fans by sharing a picture of the couple in Tokyo.
“Pacquiao came to Japan for the tournament tomorrow! They say it’s to support the future,” Sakakibara said.
“Unexpectedly, Mayweather and Pacquiao will meet tomorrow at RIZIN. Something is going to happen,” he added.
Due to the renaissance of the exhibition of late, Mayweather and Pacquiao could trade blows again in what would be a huge cash cow for both of them.
The proof is in the pudding. If Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. can get over a million views at fifty, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao can easily get around two million at forty.
This fact alone suggests that we will see another installment despite Mayweather’s desire to torment Pacquiao with the possibility.
first fight
Boxing legend Mayweather, a world champion in five weight classes, humiliated Pacquiao in a contest that fell short of expectations in May 2015. Requests for a second helping were met with groans from skeptical fans.
The fights with Terence Crawford, Danny Garcia and Adrien Broner were hyped for “Pac-Man” at the time, though the final game has always been Mayweather II.
Freddie Roach discussed a possible retirement after Mayweather’s 2016 loss when speaking with On the Ropes’ Jenna J.
He hinted that Pacquiao would only stay in boxing to fight his nemesis again.
“That’s probably the only reason we’re staying in the game because we want a rematch with Floyd Mayweather. We want to get that,” Roach told Jenna J.
“Mayweather has been to my gym a couple of times. I saw him in a restaurant in LA once. He took photos with my friends and was very polite and friendly.
“He told me that he hadn’t trained a day since he retired. I said, “Hey, I thought you were a gym rat. You’re always in the gym.” He – Said, “I haven’t worked a day since I retired.
“I told him, ‘There are still some big fights for you.’ But I didn’t ask him anything about Manny. I don’t know the real reason why he comes to visit.
“He doesn’t want me to be his coach. I don’t think so. But I thought maybe it was for him and Manny to get together one more time.
mayweather rematch
“I know Manny wants a rematch. Manny thought he won the first fight. If you watch him without commenting, you see him and you see him throwing more punches.
“I was still a little disappointed with Manny’s performance. But now he is one hundred percent. I think he will destroy one hundred percent of the capacity of him,” he added.
Mayweather pummeled an unlucky Don Moore around the ring in Abu Dhabi in May. He now fights Mikuru Asakura at RIZIN 38.
Legendary eight-weight champion Pacquiao will be ringside to watch Mayweather take on a kickboxer. Hopefully, the two Superstars will begin negotiations. Both have exhibitions scheduled until January or February of next year.
Pacquiao fights DK Yoo in December and Jaber Zayani two months later.
Spring in Vegas
A fight could happen in the spring or summer of 2023, certainly between April and July in the United States.
Meanwhile, the unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in 2021 ended Pacquiao’s professional career. The oldest winner of a welterweight title was due to fight Errol Spence for the WBC and IBF belt. That backfired at the last minute.
A loss in the Philippine presidential election, as WBN predicted, sent him onto the showcase circuit.
That’s where Floyd Mayweather comes in again and leaves at least another year on the table for a comeback fight, possibly in Las Vegas.
Maybe sooner rather than later.
The views expressed in this article are the views of Phil Jay.
WBN editor Phil Jay has over ten years of boxing news experience. He follows WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews, Instagram and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
