Pacquiao says he will face Mayweather Jr. in a rematch fight this year
The Filipino legend announced he will face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2024, almost a decade after the ‘Fight of the Century’.
It will be difficult to match the great fights that 2023 offered to combat sports and boxing fans, but the new year might come with some surprises.
Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao hasn’t been in a ring since 2021 when he retired after being defeated by Yordenis Ugas despite being the favorite via unanimous decision.
Since that loss, the Filipino senator has stepped into the ring in an exhibition clash vs. DK Yoo, although he will be fighting again soon.
The PacMan, 45, recently announced he will put on the gloves again to take on Muay Thai icon Buakaw Banchamek in April in what is expected to be an entertaining exhibition bout consisting of six three-minute boxing rounds.
Pacquiao announces rematch vs, Mayweather Jr. in 2024
However, boxing and Pacquiao fans might be in for an exciting surprise. The eight-class boxing world champion said he will take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. this year during an MMA event at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on New Year’s Eve.
It was when the mixed martial arts company Rizin’s CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara invited Pacquiao into the ring and asked him about a potential super rematch against Mayweather Jr. in 2024.
“I’m ready. Thank you so much for inviting me here again. I’m sorry for the last time we promised we were going to fight”, the Filipino started saying.
“But as Sakakibara explained, this year I will see you here in Japan again with a big fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. I’m excited about that”, he added.
Despite Pacquiao’s words, there hasn’t been a reaction from the American, so it remains to be seen if the bout will finally be a reality.
Money has fought twice in a Rizin event, as he fought Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in 2018 and took on MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura in 2022, both in boxing exhibitions.
Mayweather Jr. retired in 2017 with an undefeated record of 50-0 and he has been seen in exhibition bouts, the latest being a DQ win over John Gotti III last June.
If the fight between these two legends finally takes place, it would happen almost a decade after their mega clash called The Fight of the Century, which the American won via unanimous decision.