The highly requested Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather rematch is closer to reality than ever. The Filipino boxer confirmed recently that representatives of both camps had started discussions to make it happen.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather possible event date: What to expect
Pacquiao and Mayweather were the biggest names in the welterweight boxing division a few years back, so it was not surprising that their fight in 2015 became one of the most profitable pay-per-view events in history. Mayweather won via unanimous decision.
Pacquiao revealed last week that his and Mayweather’s teams are “talking” about the possible rematch. However, it appears that the ongoing talks are like preliminary negotiations before they go on “the formal discussions.”
The best-case scenario is for both camps to find common grounds and make the rematch happen in 2020, but avid fans of the sport know that it might hardly be the case. Pacquiao and Mayweather’s first match took a very long time to settle.
There are already several issues arising for the supposed rematch. For one, Mayweather previously said he is willing to fight Pacquiao only in an exhibition match. But since the Philippine senator is still active in the league, he unsurprisingly replied about wanting to make it an official, career fight.
Pacquiao obviously wants the Mayweather rematch to happen as much as the fans do. But he is turning 41 in December, and this sport dictates he does not have much time before he needs to retire. If these preliminary talks do not pan out soon, Pacquiao could be facing other talented boxers for a 2020 match.
Manny Pacquiao’s other possible opponents
Errol Spence Jr. just unified the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation welterweight belts after defeating Shawn Porter in a split decision win on Saturday in Los Angeles, California. Most fans expect Spence to go after the other welterweight titles from the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organization that are currently being held by Pacquiao and Terrence Crawford, respectively.
I speak to Errol Spence about fighting Terence Crawford which he says would not be a 50/50 fight in terms of purse split and feels @MannyPacquiao is a bigger fight for him than Bud. https://t.co/FuZYUno2uI
— Marcos Villegas (@heyitsmarcosv) September 24, 2019
When asked by Fight Hub TV’s Marcos Villegas, Spence expressed more interest in fighting Pacquiao first. However, if the talks with Mayweather’s team will not bear fruit, there are speculations that Pacquiao could face Mikey Garcia in early 2020.