The only senator in the world with a boxing crown Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, said on Tuesday in an interview that he would like to relish another crack at a bout against Floyd Mayweather.
The WBO welterweight world champion told ABS-CBN television when asked if he wanted to fight retired Mayweather again:
“Of course, if he wants to come back to boxing. And I also feel young. I feel like I'm just 25, or that I'm just 28 years old.”
Last week, Pacquiao even teased his fans about a possible rematch by posting pictures on social media wearing a suit bearing photos of him and Mayweather in the lining.
The Filipino boxing icon who made a comeback from his brief retirement earlier this month by beating Jessie Vargas said he was in great shape to try to avenge his defeat to Mayweather last year in the most expensive fight in boxing history.
The 37-year old boxer ended up facing Jessie Vargas after he was advised that Terence Crawford, the undefeated WBO light welterweight boxing champion and a popular first choice, would prove young, quick, strong, and quite dangerous.
Even Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum believes that nothing would have been more lucrative at this point than a Pacquiao-Crawford clash.
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However, Pacquiao fuelled talk of ‘Pacquiao-Mayweather 2’ when he invited the undefeated American, who retired in September 2015, to attend his successful comeback against Jesse Vargas in Las Vegas on November 5.
But 39-year-old Mayweather firmly dashed out hopes of a return bout with Manny Pacquiao as he stated:
“I’m retired. Listen, I don’t want to fight anymore. I have no plans to come out of retirement”
Pacquiao had retired in May as well, after beating American Timothy Bradley in a non-title fight before winning a seat in the Philippines Senate.
But he would not be stepping away from the ring anytime soon as Pacquiao said:
"I still believe in my skills. You just need discipline, how you discipline yourself and work hard."
He added that he would only walk away once he no longer wanted to put in the long hours of training:
"Because once you get lazy, that's the start of the decline of your performance and your body."
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