It's on again, that is, the Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather showdown number two following the emergence of reports that the two camps are locked in a talk again. The likelihood of the Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch finally happening was tipped by Mayweather's decision to cancel a planned exhibition in China.
The event was supposedly brushed off on the initiative by the Money Man, per the report by Boxing Insider, who purportedly is refocusing on a new project that would earn more millions of dollars. That should be an easy guess as the American facing Pacquiao again seems the next logical path, and where the gold pot is.
"Although Mayweather could be paid handsomely once again for what would seem like an easy matchup, he has instead opted to go in another direction. One that could prove to be much more lucrative - a rematch with Manny Pacquiao," the report said.
Earlier, Mayweather was working on a deal with Jay Lau of Hong Kong's DEF Promotions, who claimed he had a series of communication exchanges with the American. An agreement, however, was not finalized as the boxer thought of moving on to a different project.
"He is focusing on the Pacquiao rematch," Lau said.
The promoter also conceded that MayPac 2 finally shaping up is a big thing and will be more beneficial, indicating that "if that happens we will stop everything and let him (Floyd) do his thing first."
Still, there is no solid assurance that showdown number two is taking place anytime soon. According to The Manila Times, one stumbling block to secure a deal is the demands coming from Mayweather's team, foremost of which is the question of money.
Lau himself has revealed that the American fighter, known for his emphasis on money matters, is deliberately trying to be very expensive during their original negotiations. It is assumed then that for the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout, Mayweather will want a paycheck that runs to hundreds of millions.
In a recent statement made by promoter Bob Arum, it was estimated that the MayPac 2 will give the two boxers at least $250 million to split between them. Arum, at the same time, called on the Filipino boxing legend to set aside all fighting negotiations and work exclusively on the Mayweather bout.
Arum added that Pacquiao needs to treat the rematch with Mayweather as his last and if he can't get the American to agree on a deal, and for his health's sake, he ought to retire.
For his part, Pacquiao has maintained that he's always ready to meet Mayweather atop the ring again. The latter only needs to sign a contract, and it's ready to rumble, added the Filipino fighter.
