MANILA – Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao claimed he is facing fellow retired boxer, undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jr., in a rematch that will possibly happen in Japan.
The eight-division world boxing champion made an announcement during a mixed martial arts event in Saitama, but Pacquiao failed to mention if the bout is a professional boxing match or just an exhibition game.
“I hope to see you in Japan in a big fight against… Floyd Mayweather (Jr.),” the 45-year-old Pacquiao announced. “I am excited. Thank you for always supporting RIZIN promotions.”
Mayweather and Pacquiao first faced each other on May 3, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena where the Las Vegas-native ran away with a 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112 unanimous decision win.
It took Pacquiao and Mayweather five years to hammer out a deal to face each other in a fight that finally gave fans the chance to see the best “pound-for-pound” fighters of their generation face off.
The two nearly came to terms in 2009, a month after Pacquiao demolished Miguel Cotto. However, it fell apart when Pacquiao and Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum opposed Mayweather’s demand of random drug testing.
In the next four years, there were a lot of attempts for renegotiation. In 2011, then-HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg tried to mediate the negotiations but nothing positive came out.
In 2012, Mayweather, who was in Las Vegas, called Pacquiao, who was in General Santos, and offered him a guaranteed $40 million but with no pay-per-view upside. Pacquiao declined the offer.
Presently, both Pacquiao and Mayweather have retired from professional boxing and are only stepping inside the ring for exhibition matches.
Pacquiao came from an exhibition match win against South Korean vlogger DK Yoo in December, 2022, while Mayweather last fought John Gotti III last June 11, 2023./PN
