By: Sean Crose
“He’s scared to death,” Manny Pacquiao has said to FightHype, “that’s my analysis on him.” The legendary fighter is speaking of Floyd Mayweather, who he claims has no interest in facing him in a rematch of their 2015 superfight. Although he officially retired from boxing after losing to Yordenis Ugas back in 2021, Pacquiao sounds in the interview like he may be seriously considering a comeback. Since losing his bid for the Filipino Presidency, the now 43 year old Pacquiao has been keeping fit, playing basketball and regularly hitting the gym. This weekend, he’s facing martial artist DK Yoo in a South Korean exhibition bout to earn money for charity.
While Mayweather has been fighting in exhibition bouts for some time now, he hasn’t given any indication of returning to the pro ranks – and, let’s face it, with good reason. Like Pacquiao, Mayweather is well into his forties now, well past a fighter’s prime years. Pacquiao, however, remains unhappy with the fact that he lost to Mayweather over seven years ago, and longs for a second fight. Yet Pacquiao revealed something else notable in the FightHype interview – the fact that he’s willing (Or is it eager?) to face contemporary welterweight kingpins Terence Crawford and Errol Spence.
“I can fight Crawford or Spence,” he said. “I’m eager to fight with them to test them, if they’re really a champion.” With negotiations for a Crawford-Spence megabout falling through this past autumn, neither current welterweight titlist appears to have a top name opponent on the horizon (unless you count Keith Thurman), though few would give Pacquiao a chance against either man at this point in time. Pacquiao, however, certainly appears confident in the interview with FightHype. “I’m still here,” he says, “even though I was retired for more than a year.”
