On the same weekend that one highly anticipated boxing rematch was taking place, it appears that another was inching closer to happening. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are said to be close to finalizing a deal for a rematch of their 2015 welterweight championship fight, a bout that would bring Mayweather out of retirement to face one of the toughest rivals of his career.
According to a report by Ring Magazine, the two are said to be considering Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 as potential dates for a fight, and an official announcement of the bout could come as early as this week.
Mayweather Floats Teaser on Instagram
News of a potential fight came on Saturday, when Mayweather released a video post on Instagram with the caption “I’m coming back to fight Manny Pacquiao this year another 9 figure pay day on the way.”
In the video, the two fighters are seen among a crowd at a Tokyo music festival. While it’s hard to make out much of the dialogue between the two, the interaction looks like an amicable exchange between rivals: Pacquiao repeatedly points out that he currently has a title belt, while at one point, Mayweather tells the Filipino fighter that he doesn’t want to hear about a shoulder injury like the one Pacquiao said hurt his performance in their first fight.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnvdWOphIoe/
The first fight between the two was one of the most anticipated boxing matches in recent memory, with the undefeated Mayweather finally getting his chance to take on the southpaw Pacquiao. It had taken nearly six years of negotiations to make the fight happen, and when the day of the event finally came, it generated 4.6 million pay-per-view buys.
Past Their Primetime?
But that bout failed to live up to the hype. With both men past their prime, Mayweather took a cautious, defensive approach, while Pacquiao threw relatively few punches and was unable to hurt his opponent. In the end, Mayweather won by a clear unanimous decision.
Since then, Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) has only fought twice, defeating Andre Berto in September 2015 before his infamous contest against UFC star Conor McGregor last August. After the McGregor fight, Mayweather said he was retiring with his unblemished record.
On the other hand, Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs) has fought four times since his loss to Mayweather, winning three of those fights. In July, he defeated Lucas Matthysse to win the WBA welterweight title, which would presumably be on the line in a December fight against Mayweather.
Talking to reporters in the Philippines, Pacquiao appeared to confirm that the fight was all but certain to happen.
“We will finalize the fight this week, either Mayweather or somebody else, where and when, what date,” he said.
While the fight hasn’t been confirmed yet – let alone any details – betting lines are already available on a hypothetical rematch. At the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, Mayweather is listed as the -220 favorite, while Pacquiao is garnering odds of +180. The fight must take place this year for wagers to be honored.
