X

Floyd Mayweather's Final Fight Must Be Rematch with Manny Pacquiao

Chris Roling@@Chris_RolingX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistApril 21, 2015

Apr 14, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Floyd Mayweather, Jr., looks on as his gloves are taped on before he performs a workout at Mayweather Boxing Club. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

It's time to start talking about Floyd Mayweather's final fight. 

Yes, the globe doesn't know the outcome of the superfight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao on May 2 at the MGM Grand.

It doesn't matter.

Mayweather has forced this conversation during the buildup to his first encounter with Pac-Man thanks to recent comments about his general growing disinterest in the sport.

Jeff Powell of MailOnline captured the recent shocking revelation from Money himself:

"I'm pretty much done with all this. It's not fun like it was back then. It's business now. I don't really enjoy it any longer. [I'll fight a] final one at the MGM Grand in September."

The end had to come sometime, right? 

Mar 11, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Manny Pacquiao poses for photographers during a press conference to announce their fight on May 2, 2015 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Still, it's a curious time for Money to be talking about the end. He's one half of perhaps the biggest fight in boxing's history and could bank somewhere in the neighborhood of $180 million, according to numbers researched by GQ's Will Leitch.

Gone are the days Mayweather's reputation hinged on his willingness to fight Pacquiao. Even better, he owns a 60-40 split of the fight's share, per Powell.

Maybe it's not about the cash anymore and Mayweather, 47-0 and 38 years old, really is just flat-out tired. He told Powell "I'm not excited. This is another fight for me. Yeah it's big but basically it's no different from all the others. Once we get in that ring it's a level playing field."

Never mind the fact it will be odd to see Mayweather cut short his goal of 50-0. It will be even stranger to have an aura of his career penultimate bout hanging over the event on May 2.

There, a win or loss doesn't matter. It could go either way, too. Mayweather's reactionary style isn't a crowd-pleaser by any means, but it gets the job done from a technical standpoint and keeps him undefeated.

Now, Pacquiao can throw his usual barrage of punches from odd angles, especially considering he's a southpaw. Such is the way to victory for Pac-Man. It's one many think he can use to steal the win and blemish Mayweather's record.

Miguel Cotto, who has felt the full wrath of both, told Sky Sports that Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, is another key factor throwing things in his favor: "After working with Freddie I think he is going to be huge in the fight. I’m going for Manny."

Say Pacquiao wins. The rematch writes itself as one final sendoff for Mayweather. He will need revenge, and while it's hard to imagine he will control the revenue split if he loses the first bout, his final hurrah would be more about legacy than cash. 

If Mayweather wins, great, but remember the backlash after judges decided in his favor against Marcos Maidana? Folks demanded a rematch and got it because Maidana threw a huge amount of punches and seemed to put up a great fight, even if Mayweather hit on a higher percentage and caused his opponent to hit air or land off target more than anything.

Pacquiao touts a similar style, so even if Mayweather wins a decision the globe will clamor for a rematch.

Who else would Mayweather fight, anyway? He already derailed Saul Alvarez's path to the top. He took care of the dangerous Maidana twice. A bout against understudy Adrien Broner makes a bit of sense, but what good does it do the future if Mayweather wins? Amir Khan could set up a huge payday, but he seems to have his eyes set on an encounter with Pacquiao now more than anyone else.

Pacquiao is the lone answer above all else, no matter how the first fight goes. After a long wait, fans around the world have their dream fight secured. Why not do it twice? Heck, perhaps the rematch sees both men raise each other's gloves and ride off into the sunset.

If one believes the hype of this bout, the in-ring action should need a rematch. Any chatter about Mayweather's next, and perhaps final, opponent should end before it begins.

It's Pacquiao again.

Follow Chris_Roling on Twitter