Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao II? Yes, it will happen sometime in 2024. Probably. Well, sort of. In Japan as a guest of honor at the RIZIN New Year’s Eve MMA show at the huge Saitama Super Arena, 45-year-old Pac Man climbed into the ring and announced the Mayweather fight for some time in 2024.
Pacquiao, smiling and clearly happy to be there, spoke with RIZIN CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara, and the all-time great had a quick, two-word reply to Sakakibara’s question of whether or not he would box Mayweather a second time.
“I’m ready,” Manny said. “Thank you so much for inviting me here again. I’m sorry for the last time we promised we were going to fight. Next year, I hope to see you here in Japan with a big fight against…..Floyd Mayweather. I thought you didn’t want me to say that. I’m excited for that.”
But will the fans be excited for Mayweather-Pacquiao II, the exhibition? The May 2015 the two legends finally had, after years of waiting around, was one big dud, and it’s certain that many fans will believe a rematch, with the two men being so much older and boxing in an exhibition at that, will be the same. That said, the rematch will make a pile of money, and of course, people will tune in to watch.
First up, Pacquiao will face Muay Thai fighter Buakaw Banchamek in an exhibition bout in Thailand in April. Mayweather, meanwhile, will box John Gotti III in an exhibition rematch in Las Vegas in his next cash-grab, sorry, fight.
But then it could be “Money” and Pac Man hooking up again in Japan sometime later in 2024. Are YOU excited?
It seems aging former champions like Mayweather and Pacquiao are just unable to hang up the gloves completely, and with so much good money to be made from taking part in exhibition bouts, who can really blame them?
