Mayweather hopes Pacquiao can bounce back from loss

MANILA, Philippines – Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Monday night offered words of comfort to Manny Pacquiao, who suffered the worst loss of his career at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez via a stunning sixth round knockout in their fight Sunday.

In a lengthy interview posted on fighthype.com, Mayweather acknowledged that such knockouts happen in boxing and wished that Pacquiao can recover from it.

"Things happen. You live and you learn. The only thing he (Pacquiao) can do is rejuvenate himself and bounce back like a true champion," said the undefeated Mayweather, who for a long time was being eyed as a potential opponent for Pacquiao in what could be the richest fight in boxing history.

“There's a difference in the ways you can get knocked out. See, when a guy gets knocked out and he can get up, they sit him on his stool, they rub his back, he go home and ice himself, you know, he go to the hospital and get checked out and he's okay, that's one thing. But when you gotta wake a guy up with smelling salt and he got a concussion and he gotta go to the hospital overnight, that's crucial. I mean, that's close to death," he added.

In another action-packed fight, Pacquiao and Marquez traded knockdowns and some vicious exchanges, with the Mexican putting the icing on the cake when he landed a perfectly timed right straight to a lunging Pacquiao with just a second left in the sixth round.

The Filipino icon crumbled face first to the canvass, and referee Kenny Bayless didn’t bother to count. He lay motionless for a few moments while Marquez began to celebrate his career-defining victory that was witnessed by more than 16,000 fans at the MGM Grand.

In the same interview, Mayweather praised both Pacquiao and Marquez for putting on a show in the latest episode of their storied rivalry.

 "Marquez is a true champion, Manny Pacquiao is a true champion, both of them went out there and put on a good performance, and that's a good thing for the sport of boxing. I wish Pacquiao nothing but the best. I wish that he can bounce back and he can recoup from this,” he said.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan-born fighter likewise offered his advice on what should be Pacquiao’s next move.

"Pacquiao's focus should be trying to make a vacation, get his mind right and get a few tune-up fights so he can bounce back. I'm not here to talk bad about Pacquiao. I feel bad for him, honestly. I really feel bad for him,” Mayweather said.

"Hopefully he's okay. My prayers go out to the Pacquiao family. I know he loves the sport of boxing so hopefully he can bounce back,” the boxer added.