Though 'depressed' about Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, Merchant thinks rematch is coming

MANILA, Philippines – Veteran boxing commentator Larry Merchant thinks Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are bound to do it again.

Mayweather and Pacquiao figured in boxing’s richest fight ever, and the bout’s financial success alone is enough reason to stage a rematch.

“I believe it's a possibility,” the 85-year-old Merchant recently said in a boxingscene.com report by David P. Greisman.

While the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight was a commercial success, it failed to live up to the hype due to lack of action. The undefeated Mayweather cruised to a unanimous decision win over Pacquiao, who was then revealed to have fought on an injured shoulder.

The bout drew record pay-per-view revenue and netted both boxers career-high paydays, leading some in the boxing community to speculate that a rematch could be in the offing.

Count Merchant among those who think Mayweather and Pacquiao will have another go at it.

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“That fight was such an amazing event and just as amazing a bust in the ring, that you know that the businesspeople will try to bring it back, because if it does a third of the business, it will still be a big event,” he said.

The commentator, however, said he isn’t ecstatic about it.

“I'm depressed about it. Because it was the anticlimax of the century, and it's not likely to be any better,” said Merchant.

“I think people in boxing knew that Mayweather, in his calculation of risk and reward, does not tend to go toward risk, and that he was going to try to outbox Manny,” he added.

Pacquiao will challenge WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas on November 5, and has expressed desire for another crack at Mayweather.

Mayweather, for his part, has so far stayed retired. – Dino Maragay

Manny Pacquiao to fight in the UAE? Bob Arum to attend ‘meeting’ over Middle East event

The prospect of Manny Pacquiao staging a fight in the UAE has been given new hope after the boxing superstar’s promoter, Bob Arum, revealed he will hold talks about an event in the Middle East.

Pacquiao, 37, officially retired from boxing following his last fight, a points victory against American Timothy Bradley in April.

Although it seems the eight division world champion is plotting his return to the ring, with trainer Freddie Roach expecting Pacquiao to fight again in November.

Pacquiao’s retirement U-turn also opens the door for an event to finally take place in the UAE after several failed attempts for host a fight in the Emirates.

• Exclusive interview – Bob Arum reflects on Pacquiao: ‘My job was to present Manny as he really is, people just fell in love with him’

There had been talk of a showdown between Pacquiao and Briton Amir Khan in Dubai, but that failed to materialise, while the UAE was considered an outside option for the Filipino’s mega-bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr, although the American refused to fight outside of Las Vegas.

Pacquiao is no stranger to taking his fights around the world with two of his last five bouts taking place in Macau.

Promoter Arum, writing on his Twitter account, said he is set to have discussions regarding a Pacquiao event on Sunday, which at the very least suggests interest from Pacquiao to fight in the region.

Meeting on Sunday with people anxious to put on a@MannyPacquiaoTR fight in the Middle East.pic.twitter.com/QZqTmxvAl3

— Bob Arum (@BobArum) July 29, 2016

While the UAE, with its prominent Filipino population, would be the ideal location for a Pacquiao fight in the Middle East, there has also been suggestions that Qatar would be interested in hosting an event.

Pacquiao has accumulated a professional fight record of 58 wins with 38 knockouts, six defeats and two draws.

His comeback to boxing is expected to be made more complicated by his recent appointment to the Congress of the Philippines in June when he was elected senator and will serve a six-year term until 2022.

Philippines: Manny Pacquiao wins seat in Senate, taking him one step closer to presidency

BOXING great Manny Pacquiao has won a seat in the Philippine Senate, bringing him closer to a possible shot at the presidency.

At the proclamation ceremony, an election official introduced Pacquiao as the "people's champion" and called out his name in the same way he is introduced in the boxing ring.

The 37-year-old Filipino received more than 16 million votes for seventh place among 12 winning senators in the recent elections. Earlier this year, he said he planned to retire from boxing to become a full-time politician.

Pacquiao is considered a hero in his country which grinds to a halt during his televised fights so Filipinos can support him. He has indicated in the past he would consider running for the presidency but he has tried to ditch the topic, saying he was too young.

He told reporters he was still thinking about whether to participate in the Olympic Games in August because he might be criticised for being absent from the Senate shortly after the start of legislative work.

"I need to ask if the Filipino people will allow me to participate in the Olympics," he added.

Pacquiao also said he will support re-imposing the death penalty but opposes any proposed divorce bill. He said the first bill he will file would provide free elementary-to-college education for children from impoverished families.

Pacquiao ran for the Senate under the ticket of losing presidential candidate Jejomar Binay, but was also endorsed by southern Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the winner of the presidential race according to unofficial results. Mr Duterte has said he would ask Congress to restore the death penalty, which has been suspended since 2006.

During his senatorial campaign, Pacquiao bounced back impressively after a huge drop in support from his remarks in February that people in same-sex relations are "worse than animals". The Bible-quoting candidate apologised to people hurt by his comments but made clear he opposed same-sex marriage.

President Benigno Aquino III revealed in April that the brutal Abu Sayyaf militant group considered abducting Pacquiao, along with the president's sister, who is a wealthy and popular actress. Despite the warning, Pacquiao continued to openly campaign with few visible escorts in the south region where the militants are based.

Pacquiao came from an impoverished family and had worked odd jobs before lacing up the gloves at the age of 12. He rose steadily and became a champion in eight boxing divisions then one of the world's most celebrated and wealthiest athletes.

He has represented southern Sarangani province in the House of Representatives since May 2010, though he has been criticised for rarely showing up for legislative duties due to his commitments with boxing and training. ends

The Philippine constitution requires presidential candidates to be at least 40 years old. The 37-year-old boxer would be eligible to run in the next presidential election in 2022.

In a populist stance, Pacquiao said the first bill he would introduce would grant free elementary-to-college education for children from poor families, a proposal that has not been achieved in the past due to the extensive costs it would entail. More than a fourth of the more than 100 million Filipinos are considered poor.

Bob Arum explains his 'NoTrump' Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley undercard

It’s part of a boxing promotion and it grabs eyeballs, so you start with the idea that veteran boxing promoter Bob Arum’s "NoTrump" undercard for the April 9 Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley fight in Las Vegas is a cute gimmick.

Wrong, says Arum, a proud liberal who wants to use the stage of an HBO pay-per-view forum to expose what Arum says is Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s wrong-sighted build-a-wall, anti-immigration platform.

Arum and Trump were formerly work associates, with Arum staging “numerous” ESPN fights at Trump properties. But the fight promoter, who during 50 years in the business has helped guide the paths of many greats from Muhammad Ali to Floyd Mayweather Jr.and Pacquiao, said he’s repulsed by Trump’s philosophy.

“My position on immigration and Hispanics is diametrically opposed to his,” Arum said. “What he is doing is preaching hate. So I’m standing up for my Hispanic neighbors and all the Hispanic kids who fight for me. I mean, somebody has to stand up to this crap.”

Before Coachella Valley’s Bradley defends his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt against former eight-division champion Pacquiao at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, unbeaten Gilberto Ramirez (33-0, 24 knockouts) of Mazatlan will fight for the WBO super-middleweight belt of German champion Arthur Abraham.

Then, former Mexico Olympian Oscar Valdez (19-0, 16 KOs), the top-ranked WBO featherweight contender who resides in Lake Elsinore and trains each weekday in Carson, will fight Russia’s Evgeny Gradovich. And super-lightweight Jose Ramirez of Avenal, Calif., will meet Manny Perez.

Arum said he views fighters such as Gilberto Ramirez, Valdez and Jose Ramirez as shining lights of what immigration means to the U.S. – people coming here, driven to create a better life through strong work ethic.

Jose Ramirez is a huge draw to the working-class crowds in Fresno, which earned him the promotion to Las Vegas on HBO.

“They’re good, hard-working, dedicated people,” Arum said of his fighters.

Although Trump is a big boxing fan – he sat ringside at Madison Square Garden in October to watch unbeaten middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin stop Canada’s David Lemieux – Arum said the Republican front-runner is not invited to the April 9 card.

“These people deserve legalization and they can’t be demonized as rapists when they’re not,” Arum said.

Arum, who previously worked in the U.S. Justice Department when Robert F. Kennedy was Attorney General, supports Hillary Clinton for president. He previously was helped by Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to coordinate a personal meeting between Pacquiao and President Obama.

“[Trump’s] a salesman and an opportunist,” Arum said. “He may be preaching hate because it’s what he believes, or he may be doing it – even worse – because it’ll get him the votes of bigoted people who scorn Hispanics.”

Fights Boxing Fans Desperately Want to See in 2016

In 2015, boxing fans finally got to see the fight they had been waiting years for, when Floyd Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao by decision on May 2. In the year ahead, boxing fans will be clamoring for matchups featuring new stars, such as Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin, Sergey Kovalev and Terence Crawford. 

It's not as if fans will simply forget about Mayweather and Pacquiao. There are compelling fights out there for them, if they are interested in making them. 

But 2016 will be about the dawn of a new era. And young stars like Kell Brook, Vasyl Lomachenko and Errol Spence Jr. will be anxious to stake their own claims. There should be plenty to look forward to next year.

Door ajar for Floyd Mayweather rematch as Manny Pacquiao hints at final fight before retirement

Manny Pacquiao has left the door open to the possibility of a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year.

Pacquiao, 36, revealed in a television interview that he intended to retire from boxing in 2016 to further his career in politics – but is hoping to fight one last time before he steps away from the ring.

An intriguing meeting with former training partner Amir Khan has previously been mooted but a rematch with Mayweather, who beat Pacquiao on points in May, would be the more obvious (and money-spinning) conclusion to the Filipino’s career.

The unbeaten Mayweather has already announced his retirement, but many informed observers believe he will fight once more in a bid to surpass Rocky Marciano’s record of retiring with a record of 49-0.

“I think I’m ready [to retire],” Pacquiao said. “I’ve been in boxing for more than 20 years.

“I prayed to God for guidance and I am happy about it.”

Pacquiao added that he hopes to fight once more before entering politics – a career change that he believes will become his focus.

“I will have to give up the other things that require my attention,” he added.

“If you are a senator, your focus should only be your job and your family.

“I will not be absent because the whole country would be my responsibility.”

Manny Pacquiao plans to retire after one more fight next year

Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao says he is likely to retire from the sport after one more fight next year.

Pacquiao, who lost to Floyd Mayweather in his last fight, wants to run for a seat in the Philippines senate in 2016.

Britain's Amir Khan is one potential opponent for 36-year-old Pacquiao, with American Terence Crawford among the other contenders.

"I think I'm ready. I've been in boxing for more than 20 years," the six-weight world champion told ANC.

"If you are a senator, your focus should only be your job and your family.

"I will have to give up the other things that require my attention."

Pacquiao said he "cannot say" whether his last fight would be a rematch against Mayweather, with the American having pledged to retire after his defeat of Andre Berto.

The Filipino, who underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff after the fight against Mayweather, boasts a fight record of 57 wins, six losses and two draws.

Floyd Mayweather Won't Quit, Would Lose Manny Pacquiao Fight, Says Freddie Roach

Floyd Mayweather’s upcoming fight with Andre Berto is being billed as his last, but iconic trainer Freddie Roach isn’t buying that assessment, insisting the unbeaten star will fight on.

“I don’t know where Mayweather’s going right now,” he told George Gigney of Boxing News (h/t Edward Chaykovsky of Boxing Scene). “I don’t think he’ll stop at 49 fights, I think he’ll fight to 50. I’m hoping that he promotes himself, maybe if he does he can make more money.”

Roach, who trained Manny Pacquiao for his bout with Mayweather earlier this year, also said that if the American and the Filipino were to square off again, the result—Mayweather won via unanimous decision last time out—would be different. After the fight, Manny revealed he had torn a shoulder muscle in his preparations, per Ben Dirs of BBC Sport.

“Manny would do much better in a rematch, if the shoulder gets better,” said Roach, per Gigney. “We were doing well until the shoulder went in the fourth round and we had a tough time after that. I do think we can beat Mayweather 100 percent.”

When you consider Pacquiao-Mayweather was the most lucrative boxing event of all time, per Alan Hubbard of the Independent, that fight might have been the ideal time for Mayweather to hang up his gloves. Needless to say, the bout with Berto has done little to whip up hyperbole to a level anywhere near what accompanied the May showdown.

Skip Bayless of ESPN thinks that Mayweather should get in the ring once more and give a recuperated Pacquiao another chance:

It’s impossible to calculate just how much Manny’s injury hindered him on the night, but even if Mayweather declines the opportunity of a rematch with the Filipino, he still has nothing to prove. The prospect of going 50-0 may be a tantalising one for the American, though, as will be bettering Rocky Marciano’s mark of a perfect win record from 49 fights.

Mayweather claims the fight with Berto will be his last.

But Mayweather has previously insisted that the outing with Berto is definitely going to be the curtain call on his distinguished career. “September 12th is my last dance,” he said on ESPN’s SportsCenter, via Gareth Davies of the Telegraph. “On September 13 I just want to sit back and watch some football.”

Could Mayweather have potentially opted for a better opponent in his final fight? ESPN's Dan Rafael thinks so:

After the underwhelming manner in which the first fight ended, a Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch may not be the best course of action for the sport. But Mayweather potentially chasing 50-0, plus the lucrative gains to be made, would surely appeal to both men and be an intriguing slant if they were to go at it once again.

Mayweather seems content with his current legacy, though, with the win over Pacquiao adding the gloss to an immaculate career. The Berto fight may be a damp squib and an unfitting finale for one of the greatest boxers ever, but Mayweather seems to have achieved all he wanted in the sport, meaning Roach’s assessment of a rematch is likely to remain hypothetical.

Amir Khan having talks with Kell Brook and Manny Pacquiao, disses Floyd Mayweather

Amir Khan's next fight is still undetermined and since it is obvious that it will not be his dream match against the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather, the British slugger have had talks with the representatives of fellow Brit Kell Brook and former eight division champion Manny Pacquiao. 

Khan already threw verbal jabs at Mayweather for the way he is selecting his opponent for what could be his last career fight.

Andre Berto is strongly being linked to be Mayweather's opponent in his next match this September. 

In a report by Edward Chaykovsky of Boxingscene.com, Khan said he would have been undefeated 100-0 by now had he cherry-picked his opponents just like how Mayweather did.

Another report by Chaykovsky stated that the 28-year-old Khan was approached by Pacquiao's camp about a possible fight in Dubai around March or April. 

Pacquiao and Khan are former stable and sparring mates under trainer Freddie Roach. 

Khan said if they are serious about it, he would be willing to fight and he added, "Since Floyd is running scared, I want Pacquiao in 2016 when he is back from his injury; 2016 will be Amir Khan's year; you will see me in two of the biggest fights in that year."

Meanwhile in an interview with The National, Khan said he spoke with Brook's representative Eddie Hearn about a possible fight, which they are planning to do at Wembley Stadium. 

"We had a meeting at my office and we discussed everything for a potential fight against Brook in 2016. I have made it clear to Eddie that I want this fight to be a big fight worldwide, not just in the UK," Khan said. 

He also added that for it to be a bigger fight, Brook must remain undefeated by facing and beating a number of big names in his next fights. 

Khan recently defeated American Chris Algieri via unanimous decision to defend his WBC Silver Welterweight title.

Mike Koncz: 'Manny Pacquiao may return in March'

Manny Pacquiao will not return to the ring until early next year, according to his advisor Mike Koncz.

In May, Pacquiao suffered a points defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr in the most lucrative fight in boxing history, and after the bout, it emerged that the Filipino superstar had been suffering from a torn rotator cuff.

Despite undergoing surgery on the injury, reports had suggested that the 36-year-old could return by the end of 2015, but Koncz has revealed that he does not expect the eight-weight world champion to make an appearance until late February or early March.

Pacquiao has won 57 of his 65 matches in the professional ranks.

Floyd Mayweather Next Fight: After Manny Pacquiao Bout Has Floyd Finally Picked An Opponent?

Floyd Mayweather might fight on free TV in September. Getty

Floyd Mayweather has taken his time in choosing his next opponent, following his win over Manny Pacquiao on May 2. With the boxer set to defend his undefeated record in less than two months, it appears that the sport’s top performer is close to officially choosing who’ll stand opposite him in the ring for possibly the last bout of his career.

Andre Berto is looking more and more likely to face Mayweather on Sept. 12. Michael Woods of The Sweet Science reports that Mayweather has agreed to take on the 31-year-old, while two officials have told The Los Angeles Times that an agreement between the two boxers is “likely,” though nothing has been finalized.

It comes as little surprise that Mayweather is probably going to fight Berto in his 49th career fight. After much speculation that Amir Khan would be the favorite to get a shot at Mayweather, the champ dismissed that notion last month, suggesting Berto and Karim Mayfield as potential opponents.

Mayweather would reportedly earn a purse of a little more than $30 million for fighting Berto, a far cry from the at least $220 million he made for beating Pacquiao. The May 2 mega-fight generated an estimated 4.4 million buys, but a Sept. 12 bout between Mayweather and Berto might not even be broadcasted on PPV.

Mayweather has one fight left on his contract with Showtime, and the network is reportedly looking to air the fight on CBS, the parent company of the premium channel. Being able to watch the fight for free would be welcomed by fans, many of whom were disappointed after paying for $100 for a PPV event that had few exciting moments.

Even though Mayweather was favored against Pacquiao, a large contingent of fans believed the Filipino star had a chance to hand the undefeated boxer his first loss. Against Berto, Mayweather would be given incredibly high odds to remain unbeaten, and an upset would be one of the greatest in boxing history.

Berto has won his last two fights, most recently defeating Josesito Lopez in a sixth-round TKO in March. But he isn’t one of the best fighters in the welterweight division, and won’t be given much of a chance to seriously challenge Mayweather. Floyd Mayweather Sr. has even admitted that his son’s plan is to take“easy fights.”

With three losses in his last six fights, Berto has a career record of 30-3. He’s been defeated by both Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero, both of whom were beaten handily by Mayweather.

Until a deal is officially announced, a few other boxers remain as long-shot candidates to be Mayweather’s next opponent. Khan’s continuous pleas to fight Mayweather have been ignored, but he’s won five fights in a row and is one of the most viable challengers out there. The undefeated Keith Thurman has made it known that he wants to face Mayweather, most recently beating Luis Collazo on Saturday to retain his perfect record.

It shouldn’t be long before Mayweather officially announces his next opponent. After his first fight with Marcos Maidana in May of last year, the two sides agreed to a rematch on July 10.

That Welterweight Title Mayweather Won When He Beat Pacquiao? He Doesn’t Hold It Anymore

So much for the "fight of the century"

The World Boxing Organization has stripped Floyd Mayweather Jr. of the welterweight world title he earned two months ago, when he defeated Manny Pacquiao in what was called the fight of the century.

Mayweather, whose victory in the fight earned him $200 million, failed to pay a $200,000 sanctioning fee he owed the WBO by a Friday afternoon deadline. He also failed to relinquish the junior middleweight title he held prior to the May 2 fight, violating the WBO rule prohibiting its fighters from holding simultaneous titles in different weight classes.

“The WBO World Championship Committee is allowed no other alternative but to cease to recognize Mr. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. as the WBO Welterweight Champion of the World and vacate his title, for failing to comply with our WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests,” the WBO said in a statement.

Reuters reports that he has two weeks to file an appeal.