The past week has been a very active one for sports media outlets, as Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced that he is coming out of retirement in 2020. Boxing fans are now even more hopeful that he would finally agree to an official rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather: Rematch now even more possible
Mayweather has been adamant about staying in retirement since his last professional boxing match against Conor McGregor in 2017. However, his long-time rival Pacquiao remains active in the game.
Pacquiao has had a good year after defeating Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman in 2019. But he has been quite honest about wanting to fight Mayweather the most. The American boxer did not exactly turn down Pacquiao’s offer, but he was reportedly insistent on only agreeing to an exhibition match since he has already retired from the sport.
Everything changed last Friday when Mayweather posted a photo of him in a boxing attire on Instagram. “Coming out of retirement in 2020,” Pacquiao’s rival wrote in the caption.
Mayweather could do what Pacquiao has been doing in recent years. Taking down one fighter at a time who wants to boost their reputation by defeating a boxing legend in the welterweight division. But it would be such a huge missed opportunity not to arrange an official rematch with Pacquiao. The only question now is whether or not that would happen immediately in 2020.
Mayweather also announced his partnership with UFC President Dana White. However, it is still unclear on what aspect the duo will collaborate with.
Manny Pacquiao to fight someone else in early 2020
As for Pacquiao, it appears that he is set on having his next fight as soon as spring 2020. Considering the timing of his next match and that Mayweather has just announced his return, the Philippine senator is most likely facing a different opponent first.
Recent reports have it that Pacquiao’s shortlist of next opponents have been narrowed down to either Mikey Garcia and Danny Garcia. But more boxing fans, including Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach, suggest that a fight with Danny would be more appealing.