The world of boxing jumped through a time machine last night with the news Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have reignited their rivalry with a rematch scheduled for Sept. 19 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
“Boxing is a complete and utter drug,” former cruiserweight champion and boxing pundit Johnny Nelson told talkSPORT.
“The best in our sport really struggle to let go.”
“Even I think I can still fight and I’m 59,” he said.
Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) and Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KOs) first collided 11 years ago, with Floyd scoring a relatively routine unanimous decision victory at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
“You’ve got to remember that when they first fought in 2015, they were past their best then,” Nelson said. “The expectation, all the excitement, and all the chatter — it was all there because people were stuck in nostalgic times, thinking they were the same fighters they were five years before that.”
Pacquiao rolled back the years when challenging Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title last July. The Filipino superstar was largely considered unlucky to be held to a majority decision draw, and so Barrios clung onto the belt. Had Pacman triumphed, he’d have extended his own record as the oldest champion in the 147-pound division’s history — a record Mayweather could have tried to snatch in this upcoming rematch.
As for the American, the former five-weight world champ comes off a long period of inactivity. His last professional contest came in 2017 against the former two-weight UFC ruler Conor McGregor, who was making his professional boxing debut. Mayweather claimed a 10th-round TKO at the T-Mobile Arena.
“They are both going to be slower,” Nelson said, when discussing how the fight could play out.
“You know what, there might even be a difference in the result,” he added. “I gather that Mayweather lives in the gym. He’s had a few exhibitions against substandard opponents. Pacquiao had Barrios, so that’s a good stake for him to say he’s been in there with somebody active and youthful. So the result could change.
“The expectation of these two former greats being a shadow of their former selves should be low.”
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