THOUGHTS | MAYWEATHER VS PACQUIAO II

IT'S OFFENSE VERSUS DEFENSE!

When I saw a couple of days ago that Floyd Mayweather suddenly unretired, I knew something was up.

And let’s just be real here: the way to beat Saudi money is Netflix money.

I remember when I first saw Manny Pacquiao in Physical 100: Asia. In terms of sportsmen, there was no one comparable to him on the continent—even in retirement—unless you’re holding a baseball bat. But unlike Shohei Ohtani, Pacquiao has the skills to at least handle the strenuous activities of the show. Yes, Ohtani is a genetic freak, but he’s also an active competitor.

The only way he’d do the show is if he were already retired or fully committed to extreme endurance-based challenges.

That’s why when I saw Pacquiao participate in the show AND set to fight Mario Barrios a couple of months later, I thought Pacman was insane.

I doubt he fully understood the concept of the show, and I even felt like Freddie Roach didn’t know about it either. It’s fitting that Pacquiao had to step away after the Ball Possession challenge and before the Ancient Korea–themed endurance series. During the Shipwreck challenge, it felt like Pacquiao could still go, but this reminded me of when Rocky Balboa had to train like a younger fighter after getting used to all the money, fame, and perks.

Pacquiao looked like he didn’t belong there—and like he didn’t even want to be there. And with the team prize being at least one-fifth of what he could earn in a single fight, I’m amazed he didn’t walk away from the show sooner.

I’d bet Pacquiao got blinded by Netflix money, tried to give it a go, and then, when Freddie Roach heard about his training, he probably went scorched-earth on him.

But again, there’s that Netflix money for you.

So what’s going to be the motivation behind the sequel we never really thought we needed until now?

First of all, having two near-50-year-old guys slugging it out just shows that conditioning back then is far from what we have now. I know they’re older, but I also believe they can still school the new set of fighters. This is like in basketball—LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant are way past their primes, but they can still perform at par with the younger guys because of modern technology and training methods.

That said, the negative side of Mayweather unretiring—and Pacquiao doing the same a year prior—is that there’s no clear-cut future for boxing. Yes, the sport can still thrive at the Olympics, but it’s a different story when it comes to megafights. Jake Paul, the YouTuber who kind of revived boxing’s popularity, is about to turn 30 this year. How insane is that?

As for Mayweather, maybe he needs to fund his lifestyle. Look, I’m not messing with his future, because you could say the same thing about Manny Pacquiao and his boatload of endeavors. Pacquiao is involved in philanthropy, businesses, and endorsements, but he still needs another source of income to maintain his lifestyle.

The thing about “Money” Mayweather, though, is that he’s risking his undefeated streak. Despite everything we can say about his conditioning, no one has ever defeated Father Time. If he turns turtle or looks like a tomato can at the start of the fight, you can expect that streak to disappear. But if he does what he usually does—elude punches with his stonewall defense while landing a couple of big rights here and there—he’s still a lock to win.

The problem with Pacquiao’s career toward the end was that he became the starmaker. We saw fighters like Timothy Bradley, Jeff Horn, and Yordenis Ugas get controversial wins over him, only for those victories to lead nowhere in elevating boxing. And when you consider the younger fighters in their 20s he faced—perhaps in an attempt to pass the torch—it suggests he has become the sport’s gatekeeper.

That said, if he loses again to Mayweather, it’s going to be a stain on his career. I know they’re protecting Pacman with this fight because of “Netflix money,” but we saw how cringeworthy Juan Manuel Marquez looked when he kept chasing Pacquiao for a rematch. This doesn’t have the same energy, but a loudmouth like Floyd would absolutely revel in beating Pacquiao twice.

Manny is the type of boxer whose legacy won’t be erased by a loss.

But what’s his deal here?

Is he going to lose to a younger talent for the sport's return to glory?

No.

Is he entering this fight as the underdog?

Well...

The fact is, he had that label when he faced Mario Barrios last year, and fans know he can still go. Some even believe he got robbed in that decision. Again, Barrios may be a good fighter, but he hasn’t really done anything to skyrocket boxing’s popularity back to its glory days.

In terms of star power, fans are drawn to wrestling. In terms of overall combat skills, MMA is seen as the more complete sport. Boxing went from being highly anticipated to becoming a megabuck spectacle—two men squaring off inside a ring without leg kicks or takedowns.

If you think about it, Mayweather actually did better in promoting boxing with his exhibition bouts. His fights with Jake Paul and Conor McGregor were basically his biggest money-making events. Suddenly, boxing is getting the views because watching it on Netflix is better than buying a PPV. I bet the only reason he unretired for this match is that it would be ridiculous to have two pro boxers who can still compete come to blows without anything significant—like a championship—at stake.

Pacquiao would probably take the match either way, but that one small stain on his record could be enough motivation to make the fight a little more interesting.

So, aside from defeating a man with a 30-year professional winning streak, the only visible motivation for him seems to be a shitload of moolah. There’s nothing wrong with that, but he could easily earn that money by facing a relative newcomer. You could even argue that a Pac-Man loss at this stage of his life might pretty much end his career. During his prime, when Pacquiao pushes for a rematch or even a trilogy, the most likely outcome is that he’ll try to overcome the odds. He did this with Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, and Timothy Bradley.

Hell, I know the ending of the Pacquiao–Marquez rivalry didn’t go as planned, but that was more about Marquez finally getting the satisfaction he felt he deserved after three previous fights he believed he should have won. Pacquiao, on the other hand, seemed to treat the fourth fight almost like a favor.

He underestimated Marquez in that match, and we all saw how that carelessness—especially against that booming right hand—ultimately led to his defeat.

I seriously doubt he can defeat Mayweather without scoring a knockdown or at least making him bleed, but at the same time, it’s hard to imagine Mayweather fighting without his impenetrable defense.

I know that losing to Mayweather could be framed as finally putting the “what-ifs” to rest, but I really want to see him step away from the sport with a win.

So thanks to Netflix money, we’re getting a match we thought we’d never see again—nearly a decade in the making.

It was long overdue the first time it happened, and it feels somewhat the same now.

But I’m still excited to watch the fight. This is a fight of monumental proportions, built on contrasting styles. Manny Pacquiao has always had a tendency to score knockouts, while Mayweather is a master of defense. The match may not be pretty, but if Pacquiao somehow manages to break through Money’s wall, then we could be witnessing a moment in boxing history that might help bring the sport back to its old glory.

Maybe we should lower our expectations, considering how their contrasting styles didn’t mesh well the first time. Hopefully, off-court issues won’t get in the way. I don’t know if Floyd Mayweather can still pull off the antics he was known for back then, but since the fight is in Las Vegas, I hope Manny Pacquiao will take the fight seriously and enter the match without any injury.