Speculations are now running high about the possible rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Even though both are retired from boxing, many sports analysts say the two boxing champs can still bring strong outing.
After Manny Pacquiao's two-knockdown, unanimous-decision victory against Timothy Bradley last week, many boxing fans believe Mayweather might be intrigued by the possibility of a rematch.
Viewers enjoyed the strong performance of Pacquiao over Bradley. The Filipino boxing icon had a 116-110 victory on all three judges' scorecards, reviving some interest on how a fully healthy challenge would be met by Mayweather. After Pacquiao's loss against Mayweather last year, he blamed a right shoulder injury he sustained in training camp for an uncharacteristically poor performance.
One year later, the 8-division world champion showed what he can do if he is healthy. According to Andreas Hale of Yahoo Sports, Pacquiao was active in his last fight. He showed powerful punches. He was quick. The Filipino boxer also looked great "as he has looked in the last three or four years."
For Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, he said the success of the first Mayweather-Pacquiao fight deserves further conversation about whether a rematch is possible. Estimates show the first fight garnered more than $600 million, which the largest revenue generated in one-day sports event. Market experts say that huge amount of money was due to the fight's hype. Boxing fans waited for nearly six years before the bout happened.
Now, Pacquiao is preparing to focus on his political career in the Philippines. He is reportedly running in the Senatorial elections in the country. For Mayweather, he insisted that he will not return to boxing after achieving a 49-0 professional record, according to BBC Sport.
However, the fact that they are now both retired is not necessarily a major issue. Boxing champs historically find it very hard to stay away from the ring after calling it a day.
As a conclusion, Showtime executive vice president Stephen Espinoza made an interesting comment about Pacquiao vs. Mayweather rematch. "But really in terms of a Mayweather rematch, it's really up to the audience, to the fans and the writers," Espinoza told RingTV.com.
With that being said, let's wait and see if the two fighters want to end their careers in a high note. Fans still want to see them in the ring together after the disappointing first matchup.
