- It is a rematch that "Sugar" Ray Leonard, one of the all-time greats of the sport, says "should be done."
- But he's wrong. It shouldn't.
- The 2015 fight was an outright dud not fit for TV, and a do-over means boxing continues to focus on its yesteryear athletes.
- Instead, it should look to the future, and match Pacquiao against Errol Spence or Terence Crawford.
- If and when Spence beats Pacquiao, it would be a passing-of-the-torch moment and usher in a new generation of pay-per-view stars.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .
ADVERTISEMENT
One of the best boxers of all time is backing a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao rematch. Here's why that would be bad for the sport.
Floyd Mayweather talked up then slapped down rumors of a second fight against Manny Pacquiao this week.
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao
ADVERTISEMENT
Recommended articles
Floyd Mayweather has been retired from professional boxing for two years, but he is seemingly forever linked with a rematch against his old rival Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather beat Pacquiao in 2015, thwarting the Filipino's best attacks with a defensive masterclass, earning the American an anticlimactic decision win.
The event was a pay-per-view success, the greatest selling fight in combat sports history, but performance-wise it was an outright dud not fit for TV.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Guardian reported at the time that it "did not deliver." SB Nation said it "probably did not live up to the hype." Forbes said it was the "death of boxing."
Whatever your epitaph, the rivalry could be ressurrected, as rumors of a second bout refuse to go away.
In 2016, Mayweather told ESPN he would fight Pacquiao after the Filipino's recovery from rotator cuff surgery, and in 2018 he said there were plans for a second bout after the pair met at an event in Tokyo .
Earlier this week, a video surfaced which showed Mayweather saying he was heading to Saudi Arabia for Pacquiao rematch talks, but the 42-year-old later told Fight Hype that this was actually false and that he was paid $2.2 million to say it.
Read more : Floyd Mayweather should disappear into retirement forever, because a comeback could end in tears
ADVERTISEMENT
"Sugar" Ray Leonard, one of the best boxers of all time , has said a rematch "should be done," telling TMZ Sports earlier this month that "people will watch it."
People would watch, but just because you build a fight, doesn't mean fans will thank you for duping them into coming.
History tells us a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight wouldn't just be a bust. It would be disastrous for boxing as its focus on yesteryear's fighters fails to usher in the new generation. It keeps the sport firmly in the past, burying any chance of pay-per-view superstars of tomorrow emerging from the shadows cast by previous greats.
Mayweather has nothing to prove. He's 50-0 and three years away from entering the hallowed boxing hall of fame in Canastota, New York. He would be the most famous inductee for generations. That, itself, would be an event.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, continues to teach younger men a fistic lesson. He beat Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman in style this year alone, but there are greater welterweight challenges out there for him.
ADVERTISEMENT
Terence Crawford and Errol Spence
Getty Images
Terence Crawford and Errol Spence are ranked one and two in the world at 147 pounds, and a fight against Pacquiao would be seen as a legacy or passing-of-the-torch fight so significant, it would enhance Pacquiao's stature in the game should he win, but take little shine off his star should he lose, considering all he has done already.
But if Spence were to win, it would elevate the unbeaten American. It would do to him what Oscar de la Hoya's loss to Pacquiao did for the 40-year-old back in 2008, aged 29. It would put him over, and create a new PPV sensation in the fight game.
Spence, 29 years old with a record of 25 wins (21 by knockout), has years ahead of him to rule. It is fighters like he who are the future.
ADVERTISEMENT
It's time to consign the mythical, improbable, and pointless Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 to the past.
See Also:
- A video showed Floyd Mayweather saying he was flying to Saudi Arabia for Manny Pacquiao rematch talks, but he now says it's not true
- Nate Diaz shared a massive spliff with fans during a workout 3 days before his UFC comeback after 3 years on the sidelines
- Christian Pulisic can be the Tiger Woods of American soccer, the Chelsea FC star's childhood club chairman says
FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA
ADVERTISEMENT
Recommended articles
Congo is spending 22% of its scarce revenue on security - Minister
Another African country is set to get a Russian embassy
Medic West Africa 2024: A resounding success in fostering collaboration and innovation for a brighter healthcare future
10 African countries with the most troubling external debt in 2024
10 African countries with the least soft power influence over the world
Kenyan government rejects calls to ban TikTok, recommends tighter control over
Congo accuses Apple of conflict minerals in its supply chain
Top 10 African countries with the highest fuel prices in April 2024
