Can Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao rematch happen as an exhibition?
Although Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao seem unlikely to cross paths again, a potential rematch could happen as an exhibition. ‘Money’ and ‘Pac-Man’ unveiled the biggest night in boxing history when they squared off at the MGM Grand Arena in 2015. Dubbed the ‘Fight Of The Century', both superstars went toe-to-toe for all 12 rounds.
Mayweather walked out with the win. However, both men had legitimate reasons to be happy. Floyd Mayweather reportedly earned $180 million while Manny Pacquiao bagged a whopping $120 million on the night.
Watch the fight below:
The rematch between the two was touted for several years until both stars hung up their gloves. Mayweather retired in 2017 after knocking out Conor McGregor in his 50th and final win. Pacquiao relinquished his career in 2021 after losing against WBA 147-lbs champion Yordenis Ugas.
Meanwhile, Mayweather has been actively participating in exhibition fights. Following his retirement, he fought Tenshin Nasukawa and Logan Paul. He will soon face Mikuru Asakura in another exhibition in Japan.
Manny Pacquiao is also taking the same step after losing the presidential election in the Philippines. The octuple world champion will reportedly return to face Korean YouTuber DK Yoo next. These exhibitions have proven to be big paydays for the contestants. That said, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao may want to relive their rivalry as exhibitionists, spinning more hefty paychecks.
Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - From Boxing to Basketball to boxing
Boxing has seen several heated rivalries, and Mayweather-Pacquiao may not be the biggest of them all. However, that fight will likely attract substantial amounts of money.
Mayweather and Pacquiao’s status as boxing’s biggest superstars was validated by their 2015 clash.
They couldn’t cross paths again as professionals. Post-retirement, there was talk that the boxers could collide again in a charitable basketball game. Pacquiao has played basketball in his home country and Mayweather is also a huge NBA fan. However, the match didn’t come to fruition.
While Pacquiao has made his way back to boxing, it could possibly bring him before Mayweather again. The rematch could be one of the biggest exhibitions to ever happen, and it will be interesting to see how different it turns out from the original clash.
While not a fight for a world title, one certainty about the clash would be multi-million dollar paychecks for both sides.