In a latest update, boxing icon Floyd Mayweather Jr. dismissed talks of a possible rematch with Manny Pacquiao. Story here.
MANILA, Philippines – Floyd Mayweather Jr. said he is flying to Saudi Arabia to talk with interested parties about holding a megabuck rematch with Manny Pacquiao in the Middle Eastern country.
A video circulating in social media Monday shows Mayweather confirming his trip to Saudi.
Undefeated, 50-0 boxing legend @FloydMayweather released a video on Sunday saying he was heading to #SaudiArabia for talks about a rematch with Filipino superstar @MannyPacquiaohttps://t.co/52EBxiUDsL pic.twitter.com/3yz9DQOFan
— Arab News (@arabnews) August 18, 2019
“It’s an honor to come to Saudi Arabia to sit down with you guys to talk about the Mayweather vs Pacquiao rematch. Saudi Arabia — Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather — I’m on my way.”
Pacquiao’s camp sees Mayweather’s latest move as legitimate, even as the fighting senator himself as yet to be informed of it.
“That is Floyd exploring things if he can raise money for the fight,” Sean Gibbons, president of MP Promotions and now Pacquiao’s right-hand man, told Philstar.com in a text message on Monday.
“Senator is not aware of anything,” added Gibbons.
Mayweather outpointed Pacquiao in 2015, in what turned out to be boxing’s richest fight ever. He took home a purse of at least $180 million for that bout, while Pacquiao made at least $120 million.
The retired superstar hasn’t fought competitively since stopping UFC star Conor McGregor in another megabuck fight in 2017. He traveled to Japan to face kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa — who he knocked out in the first round — in an exhibition match for a reported seven-figure payday.
Pacquiao, for his part, has remained active, outpointing Keith Thurman in his last outing to become the WBA “super” welterweight champion. He had been calling for a rematch with Mayweather, confident he can do better especially with the fact that when they first fought, Pacquiao was nursing an injured right shoulder.
Saudi has recently emerged as a major player in boxing, with the mammoth heavyweight rematch between champion Andy Ruiz and Britain’s Anthony Joshua reportedly being set there in December.
But the country’s notorious reputation as a nation where human rights abuses are prevalent has some boxing observers questioning its selection as a boxing venue.