Manny Pacquiao tries to goad Floyd Mayweather into fight nobody wants to see: 'He's scared'
Ten years after people cared and four years after a fight that came too late disappointed millions of pay-per-view viewers, 40-year-old Manny Pacquiao is trying to churn up interest in a rematch with Floyd Mayweather.
The 12-time world champion made an appearance on FS1’s “Undisputed” Wednesday looking to goad Mayweather into a rematch of their 2015 championship bout that Mayweather won handily.
“I think he’s scared,” said Pacquiao when Skip Bayless asked him about a rematch. “He keeps avoiding me.”
Wait: Skip Bayless is right?
In the only moment this space ever wants to be in agreement with Bayless, the FS1 host retorted sensibly.
“You realize he’s 42 now, so maybe he’s just old,” Bayless said. “Maybe he’s just saying I’m done. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
This is the correct answer. Surely if enough money is involved, Mayweather could get up for it. But he’s most certainly not scared.
Historic sports letdown
There was a time when Mayweather-Pacquiao would have had legitimate billing as the fight of the century. Pacquiao is one of the greatest fighters of all time, and an argument can be made that Mayweather is the all-time greatest.
They were both in their primes in the 2000s, and the fight world clamored for the bout that would settle the argument of who the greatest boxer of his generation is.
That was around 2009. After years of bickering over the fight promotion, the bout finally took place in 2015 with both fighters well into their 30s and staunchly past their primes.
It was a snoozefest that Mayweather won in typical tactical fashion and it left most regretting the money they dropped to host their fight parties. But hey — at least there was a party, right?
No thanks
As Pacquiao promotes his July 20 bout with Keith Thurman, he’s clearly looking past it to set up another big payday in the ring with Mayweather.
In doing so, he’s just reminding us of the fight that came too late and is wholly undeserving of a rematch between a couple of 40-somethings.
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