Mayweather to fight Pacquiao again this year
Former heavyweight champion Floyd Mayweather said on Saturday he was coming out of retirement for a 2018 rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
“I’m coming back to fight Manny Pacquiao this year,” Mayweather, 41, said on his Instagram account. “Another 9 figure pay day on the way.”
An accompanying video showed the two fighters at a music festival in Tokyo but it was difficult to hear what they were saying.
In a later video obtained by ESPN, Mayweather says, “Tokyo Japan here we go .... I’m coming back in December.”
He added, “I’m going to take it (the belt) from him like I did before. We gonna get the payday and I don’t want no shoulder excuses.”
A rematch had been speculated for years after the two met in a ballyhooed 2015 fight.
Undefeated Mayweather scored a unanimous decision that earned him an estimated US$220 million (RM910 million). Pacquiao later said he was hampered by a right shoulder injury.
Mayweather was back in the ring in 2017, winning by a technical knockout over mixed martial arts world champion Conor McGregor to run his boxing record to 50-0.
He earned a reported US$300 million and McGregor US$100 million in one of the richest fights in history. Pacquiao (60-7-2) last fought in July, knocking out Argentine Lucas Matthysse.
Afterward, when asked about a rematch with Mayweather, the Filipino boxer said: “I have the belt, so it’s up to him. If he wants to come back in boxing let’s do a second one.”
Meanwhile, Gennady Golovkin suffered the first loss of his professional career when he was beaten by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvares in an epic middleweight world title fight in Las Vegas on Saturday.
A year after their first fight ended in a controversial draw, Alvares survived a late barrage from Golovkin to clinch a points decision at T-Mobile Arena.
Two judges scored it 115-113 for Alvares, while the other had it a 114-114 draw.
“I am a great fighter, and I showed it tonight,” said Alvarez, roared on by a partisan crowd throughout on the eve of Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations.
“If the people want another round, I’ll do it again,” added the 28-year-old, who improves to 501-2. “I feel satisfied because I gave a great fight. It was a clear victory.”