The “Fight of the Century” could be getting a sequel.
A little more than three years since he first fought him, Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao wants his runback against his undefeated generational rival Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Coming off a seventh-round knockout of Lucas Matthysse (his first since 2009) on Sunday for his 60th professional win, Pacquiao was asked about Mayweather and the 39-year-old decided to throw down the gauntlet once again.
“Mayweather? If he decides to go back to boxing then that is the time we are going to call the shots,” he told reporters Sunday. “I have the belt, so it’s up to him. If he wants to come back in boxing let’s do a second one.”
Mayweather has been retired since he defeated Andre Berto in September 2015. He briefly came out of retirement last summer to face UFC superstar Conor McGregor for his 50th victory in a fight that saw Mayweather reportedly earn over $300 million.
The last, and only, time Pacquiao and Mayweather fought was on May 2, 2015, in a fight that was dubbed the “Fight of the Century” as it pitted what were considered to be the two best boxers of their generation. The fight was criticized for being made too late – talks around the fight began in 2009 – and it ended in relatively boring fashion with Mayweather winning in a decision.
Despite this, however, the fight broke pay-per-view records and generated approximately $400 million in gross revenue, so the appetite for the fight was there at the time.
But what about now with a 39-year-old Pacquiao and 41-year-old Mayweather?
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