It was 10 years ago when two boxing legends -- Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao -- finally met in the ring for a highly-anticipated clash of boxing icons that many felt was long overdue. The fight ended up not living up to expectations, but it was had, and as years have gone on, many have felt we saw a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Or have we?
Boxing inside Lance Pugmire took to social media and stated that there are talks happening, after all the years, for a potential Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2.
According to Pugmire, the fate of such negotiations continuing depends upon Pacquiao's ability to win his comeback fight with WBC welterweight champion Marrio Barrios on July 19.
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"Was told to expect Floyd to attend with two fighters on the card," Pugmire posted to X (fka Twitter) on July 15. "'Conversations are already happening...if Manny wins, this could be worth billions,' I was told."
Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao 2 A Possibility If Pacquiao Beats Mario Barrios?
Negotiations for a first fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather began all the way back in late 2009, following Pacquiao's win over Miguel Cotto and Mayweather's win over Juan Manuel Marquez -- the latter being Mayweather's first fight in 21 months after a brief retirement in 2008-2009.
Talks between the two sides collapsed in 2010. Mayweather and his team claimed Pacqiuao's side were resistant to Olympic-style drug testing, while Pacquiao's camp claimed they accepted the stipulation but Mayweather and his team were dodging the fight.
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum attempted to bring a second round of negotiations, alongside HBO and Al Haymon, who was Mayweather's manager and later went on to create Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) in 2015. Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe, however, claimed negotiations never took place. Despite continued disputes, more momentum and hope were slowed in 2012 with Pacquiao dropping a decision to Timothy Bradley and getting brutally knocked out by Marquez.
Thanks to Gabriel Salvador, however, serious negotiations were re-started in mid-2014, as he brought together the likes of then-CBS head Leslie Moonves, Freddie Roach, and Bob Arum. A month after Pacquiao and Mayweather ran into each other at an NBA game, later meeting in a hotel room to iron out details, the fight was officially announced for May 2, 2015.
Though the fight did not live up to expectations, the fight became the highest-grossing boxing pay-per-view in U.S. history with 4.6 million buys and over $410 million in revenue.
Mayweather would go on to defeat Andre Berto later in 2015 and retire -- although he came out of retirement for a superfight with then-UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, which Mayweather won via 10th-round TKO. Pacquiao, meanwhile, went on to gain revenge on Bradley and regain the WBO welterweight title before later becoming WBA (Regular) and WBA (Super) welterweight champion. Prior to his comeback this coming weekend, Pacquiao has not fought since losing the WBA title to Yodrenis Ugas in August 2021.
Mayweather and Pacquiao met at a music festival in 2018, and a rematch appeared to be teased but never came to fruition. Mayweather has competed in a series of exhibition bouts since, however, against the likes of Logan Paul, Tenshin Nasukawa, and John Gotti III.
