After Manny Pacquiao intensified training for a potential Saudi Arabia blockbuster, Floyd Mayweather is on notice.
Pacquiao is on the verge of a stunning return to boxing in what is expected to be a full professional contest. World Boxing News understands that Pacquiao has a shortlist of three opponents in the pipeline.
One is Conor Benn after the pair met up during Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou in Riyadh. The other is Conor McGregor for what would only be a catchweight exhibition. Pacquiao’s third option is by far the most lucrative and would finally appease a four-year chase by Saudi Arabian investors.
Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao II
As WBN first revealed exclusively in 2020, a huge offer was made for Mayweather vs Pacquiao II. Both later confirmed this when posting on social media that same year.
However, the state of the world at that time made it impossible to get the fight over the line. After staging a Joshua in December 2019 versus Andy Ruiz Jr., the Saudis continued focusing on the heavyweight division.
Now that they firmly have their toes dipped into the sport and have been widely accepted as a positive influence on matchmaking, a Mayweather vs Pacquiao rematch is the jewel in their crown.
The only problem now is getting Mayweather on board. Pacquiao wants the fight to be a full pro event, with Mayweather not having any marks on his CV in seven years. The last time anything counted on his 50-0 record was against McGregor.
Pacquiao would want Mayweather to regain his license for what would be a massive worldwide event for Riyadh Season. At present, events featuring Joshua and Tyson Fury have not set the world alight with Pay Per View sales. Therefore, Turki Alalshikh and his team are expected to up their efforts to land Pacquiao versus a stellar opponent.
They don’t come any more significant than Mayweather. If Floyd cannot be persuaded, Pacquiao would settle for Benn first, hoping that the Mayweather fight can be resurrected for December.
MayPac 2 in Saudi Arabia
A deal is already in place with RIZIN for New Year’s Eve, as WBN also confirmed. RIZIN would then need to be part of any future deal with the Saudi Arabians to keep their exclusive Mayweather vs Pacquiao deal sweet. Either that or Turki could offer them the chance to stage a trilogy.
A lot has to be sorted out in the coming weeks. But for now, Pacquiao is in training with a date being worked on.
When asked by World Boxing News, Sean Gibbons, head of Knucklehead boxing and a close Pacquiao ally, reacted to the possibility of a Mayweather return with excitement.
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