The boxing world has produced some intense fights recently in an attempt to restore the reputation of the sport. The most recent example is the epic rematch between GGG and Canelo Alvarez.
Shortly after the Mexican won with a somewhat controversial decision, there was an announcement of an even bigger bout. It turns out that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are in advanced talks of a rematch.
The two faced each other in 2015 when the American retained his unbeaten record. There were a lot of talks about a rematch after that, but it seemed that the idea was forgotten. To be fair, I was shocked by the news that those two will probably fight again.
I’m not quite sure if the timing of this event makes sense, considering the age of the two fighters, but both Money and Pacman are legends, so I will be watching.
I probably will be betting, too, but let’s first take a look at what happened so far and what to expect next.
Both Mayweather and Pacquiao have been dominating the world of boxing for ages, it seems. The two had the reputation of all-time greats years ago.
Both have won belts in multiple divisions and will certainly leave a long-lasting legacy.
It was only natural for the boxing world to expect them to meet at some point. The explosive hands of Pacquiao versus the elusive nature of the fighter many believe was the one with the highest boxing IQ and the best defense in the history of the sport.
I would argue that a bout during the prime of both fighters could’ve been one of the greatest in history. I’m not sure why it didn’t happen. I believe that Pacman wanted it badly, but Mayweather and his managers were reluctant to put his legacy and titles on the line.
Ironically, a win against prime Pacquiao would’ve cemented Money as one of the greatest of all time way more than any of his other wins.
Still, when all hope was lost, a match between two of them was announced. I would argue that it was too late, as both men were on the wrong end of the age of 35, but late is better than never, I guess.
The first fight finally happened in 2015, and there were two scenarios that people imagined. Either Pacman would catch Floyd with a devastating blow early on, or the American would win by points. At the end, despite Manny’s best efforts to stay aggressive, Mayweather landed more strikes and was the steadier fighter.
A lot of boxing fans, including me, were left a bit dissatisfied, as they expected more from the bout. Pacquiao instantly wanted a rematch, as well as many specialists and fans, but Mayweather seemed content with one fight only.
He did a couple of other bouts, then retired, before returning to fight MMA superstar Conor McGregor in one of the most successful fights in boxing history, from a financial perspective.
It seemed like Mayweather was done with the sport, but he obviously wants more, so let’s see what we know so far.
The world was watching the rematch between Golovkin and Alvarez, including many celebrities and boxing legends. Both Mayweather and Pacquiao attended the bout, too, but I don’t think anyone expected to see what happened after the end.
The two faced each other, and later that day, Mayweather announced on Instagram that he will once again meet the Filipino fighter.
It seems that there are advanced talks between the teams of those two, so we will most likely witness them fight again.
I would say that such a move has been planned, as I can’t imagine that the episode that happened during the GGG vs. Canelo clash was a coincidence.
I assume that the managers of both fighters agreed this would be the ideal moment to promote the rematch, in front of the eyes of the world.
According to Pacman himself, the final agreement could be reached by the end of this week. We don’t have the facts yet, but there are suggestions that the match could take place in December this year.
The venue could be a bit of a problem because Pacquiao has some issues with the IRS. As a result, the bout could be located outside of the US. China, the United Kingdom, and Dubai have been mentioned as possible destinations.
If you believe Mayweather and the rough estimates before the event, the purse of the American will be over $100 million, while many believe he will end up making over $150 million.
If you were wondering why Mayweather might be coming out of retirement once again, this is the main reason for that.
Of course, a win here would be a good addition to his already impressive legacy. This is also the main drive behind the desire of Pacman for this fight to happen. I don’t think that the Filipino legend cares about the money to the same extent.
Pac simply wants to keep fighting and face the strongest opponents possible. The chance to break the streak of Mayweather and become the first boxer to beat the famous American will be hugely appealing to him.
As you could imagine, most betting sites reacted instantly with odds for the potential fight. It’s still early days, but here’s what BetOnline offers right now.
It’s only natural for Floyd to be the favorite here, as he has never lost in his entire career. Many believe some of the fights were cherry-picked and that he avoided the prime Pacman for years, but you don’t get to win 50 bouts at the highest level just like that.
The question is what the condition of Mayweather will be. He’s only fought once in the past three years, and that was against Conor McGregor. Floyd won rather easily, but many believe this bout was a money-grabbing circus.
I have to agree, as the Notorious is an exceptional MMA fighter, but boxing is a completely different sport. You can’t take this bout seriously.
On the other hand, all signs point to the fact that Mayweather has been training and is fit. He hasn’t accumulated much damage throughout his career, and his speed looked as fast as ever against the Irishman.
As for Pacquiao, he obviously is not the same fighter, but that’s rather normal at his age. He’s faced a couple of opponents since the first match against Mayweather, and the performance was rather mixed.
Pacman won most of the bouts, and his only defeat was rather controversial.
He was able to push his opponents and remain aggressive, as he has always been. The problem seems to be the lack of power and speed, a combination that Pacquiao used to build his reputation in the past.
A lot of people accuse Mayweather of chasing only money, but his legacy matters to Mayweather. The man has been able to combine bout, giving the fans the fights they want and winning every single time. The rematch against Pacquiao fits that pattern perfectly.
The price of -250 seems about right, so I intend to wait for an official confirmation. This will lead to plenty of prop bet opportunities by the bookies, which could bring some nice value bets.
Until then, I suggest you follow closely the whole situation and patiently wait for a good spot to enter the show.
I intend to observe all the relevant news surrounding Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2, so expect more posts on the matter in the future. As always, the betting angle and recognizing any possible chance to make some money will be my top priority.
What are YOUR thoughts on these two fighters meeting once again? Please let me know in the comments section below.
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