Manny Pacquiao, in his first public comments regarding his coming September 18 rematch versus Floyd Mayweather Jnr, told BoxingScene Tuesday that he’s confident he’ll deliver his rival a first defeat.
“I’m very excited for the rematch. This is my moment to prove it,” Pacquiao said from the Philippines, where he awoke to learn Netflix had formally announced the bout will occur at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao, 47, has yet to visit the unique big-screen venue that has hosted concert residencies by U2 and Eagles, and now will stage the second bout between the top two fighters of this century who are each already residents of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Pacquiao, 62-8-3 (39 KOs), is a record eight-division champion who fought for world titles in four decades. Mayweather, who turns 49 today, retired 50-0 after posting victories over the likes of Pacquiao (2015, UD 12), Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo Alvarez and Miguel Cotto.
In their first bout, which generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and more than $600 million in revenue, Mayweather won 116-112, 116-112, 118-110 on the scorecards in an event widely panned for its inactivity as Pacquiao struggled through a torn right rotator cuff suffered in training, which required post-fight surgery.
Coming to this rematch healthy will be a major difference for Pacquiao, as will the fact that he just emphasized his ability by fighting recent WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a draw in July after maintaining a rigorous training camp.
The Mayweather fight is also scheduled for 12 rounds.
“I know I can improve my strategy this time,” Pacquiao said.
Mayweather has only participated in one professional fight since 2015, the 2017 stoppage of former UFC champion Conor McGregor.
Since then, Mayweather has participated in a handful of global exhibition bouts, including one against Logan Paul, while traveling the world. Recently, reports including a deep dive by Business Insider indicate Mayweather confronts financial peril.
He sued Showtime weeks ago, alleging it shorted him more than $300 million in pay-per-view earnings during his 2013-2017 destiny on the premium cable network.
Pacquiao assesses Mayweather isn’t being lured back by the riches of the fight. Rather, Pacquiao believes, it’s Mayweather’s tell-tale need to secure his legacy against his fiercest rival – men who were interchangeable as the top two pound-for-pound fighters for more than a decade.
“It’s the pressure from the fans: How can he claim he’s the GOAT (greatest of all time). In an analysis of the categories of boxing history, in which one can he say he’s the only one?” Pacquiao asked. “He’s not the only one to retire undefeated.”
Pacquiao said his own unprecedented feat of winning belts in eight divisions – from flyweight in 1998 to junior-middleweight – while winning a welterweight belt in 2019 and fighting two more titles bouts this decade is unmatched.
“I’m not insisting I’m the GOAT. It’s hard to raise up your own chair, but claiming those eight divisions is the hardest record in boxing, and the four decades of title fights has never been done,” Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao concedes that, with each man fighting at this age, it’s difficult to use the outcome to separate one from the other.
But if he can add to his existing accolades by being the only man to defeat Mayweather in a professional fight, that may clinch the debate in some minds.
“Whatever happens in this fight will happen, but based upon our accomplishments,” Pacquiao said when asked if the winner earns GOAT status.
“If [Mayweather] wins and helps people and is a good man, he will be considered the GOAT.
“At the end of the day, I’ve learned fame and our position are only temporary. We are here to help others.”
