LAS VEGAS – As Manny Pacquiao makes his ring comeback this weekend, can Floyd Mayweather be far behind?
The retired undefeated boxing champion will reportedly watch his old rival shoot for the World Boxing Council welterweight crown currently owned by Mario Barrios as two of his fighters under Mayweather Promotions will be seeing action in the undercard.
And with Mayweather lending his presence before an expected sellout crowd at the MGM Grand Arena, talks are again coming out in the open about a rematch between two of boxing’s biggest names in the last two decades.
READ Pacquiao looking to step up pace against slow-starter Barrios
Former Los Angeles Times reporter Lance Pugmire posted on social media about the possibility of a second Pacquiao-Mayweather slugfest especially if the Filipino boxing great succeeds in his bid to become a world champion again at age 46.
Upon visiting the TMT Mayweather Boxing Club, Pugmire was told about the 48-year-old Mayweather showing up for the Pacquiao-Barrios World Boxing Council welterweight title match.
And that’s when he learned about initial talks being made on a Mayweather-Pacquiao 2.
“Conversations are already happening … If Manny wins, this (rematch) could be worth billions,” I was told,” Pugmire announced on X.
It’s been a decade since Pacquiao and Mayweather turned the boxing world upside down after staging the richest fight ever in the history of prizefighting.
Mayweather won their welterweight unification bout by unanimous decision in the fight that earned a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and over $410 million in revenue.
Following the fight, Mayweather fought twice more including another blockbuster one against MMA superstar Conor McGregor before finally calling it quits.
He retired with an undefeated record of 50-0, including 27 KOs.
Pacquiao meanwhile, regained a piece of the welterweight crown four years after the Mayweather fight, scoring a split decision over Keith Thurman in 2019 for the World Boxing Association title.
He retired in 2021 after losing to Yordenis Ugas by unanimous decision, bowing out with a 62-8- record with 39 KOs.
Now he’s set to come out of retirement and needs to win over Barrios to lure Mayweather out of his foxhole.
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