FILE – Floyd Mayweather Jr. exchange punches with Manny Pacquiao during their welterweight unification championship bout, May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather defeated Pacquiao by unanimous decision. AFP PHOTO / JOHN GURZINKSI (Photo by JOHN GURZINSKI / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — It took about six years for the dream fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao to come to fruition in 2015.
Some believe Mayweather wanted no piece of Pacquiao until the Filipino legend seemed to be over the hill—a notion that the former pound-for-pound king isn’t buying into.
“You keep saying in our prime. I’m older than Pacquiao by two years. We keep saying ‘in your prime.’ When I beat Pacquiao, they said he wasn’t in his prime and I’m older than [him],” he said in a recent interview with rapper Fat Joe on Instagram as posted on BoxingScene.com
“And then when I fought Oscar De La Hoya, they said he’s old and we’re both in our 30’s [for that fight]. No matter what happens it’s never good enough for anyone. As long as I’m happy that’s what’s important,” added the 43-year-old Mayweather, who beat Oscar De La Hoya by split decision in 2007.
Talks for a Mayweather and Pacquiao showdown began and gained traction as early as 2009 before it fell apart.
During that time, Pacquiao was in the middle of a dominating stretch that saw him conquer one division after another—knocking out the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
Mayweather, on the other hand, had just returned from his first retirement and beat Juan Manuel Marquez after a 21-month layoff.
The two eventually met six years later, figuring in the most lucrative fight ever with Mayweather winning by unanimous decision.
There have been rumors of a possible rematch but the undefeated Mayweather has stayed retired since scoring a late stoppage over former UFC star Conor McGregor in August of 2017. Although, he did appear in a short exhibition fight in Japan a year later and made $9 million.
And it doesn’t seem like Mayweather is done doing exhibitions after another one is reportedly in the works, according to several Japanese media outlets last week.
The 41-year-old Pacquiao, meanwhile, remained active and is currently the WBA (Super) welterweight champion after beating Keith Thurman in July last year.
“My faculties and everything that I got come first. We just talked about, your health is your wealth. And that’s why I got this towel on, I was working out today. Now, Pacquiao fights because he has to. Once again, I fight if I want to. So there’s a difference,” Mayweather said.