‘Exhibition? Make it a real fight,’ Manny Pacquiao tells Floyd Mayweather after ‘nonsense’ Tokyo claim
- Philippines icon is surprised that the American said they could fight in an exhibition bout in Tokyo
- Pacquiao’s camp thinks Mayweather was using the Filipino’s name to seek publicity again
Manny Pacquiao has reacted with surprise to Floyd Mayweather Jnr’s latest social media posting which suggested the retired American boxing superstar was working on a rematch against the Philippines icon in an exhibition bout in Tokyo.
“Why an exhibition? Make it a real fight,” said Pacquiao of the short video clip of Mayweather saying he was planning Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 in the Japanese capital but said it was an “exhibition” and to “stay tuned” for further details.
The eight-division world champion wants a rematch with the retired fighter but the 40-year-old fighting senator from Sarangani province made it clear that he doesn’t want it to be a meaningless exhibition.
The Mayweather video flummoxed boxing fans, Pacquiao’s camp and the Philippines icon himself. But Pacquiao brushed off Mayweather’s latest brash statement as nothing more than just talk.
Pacquiao isn’t sure why Mayweather would suggest fighting an exhibition in Tokyo instead of a 12-rounder for the world welterweight title in Las Vegas, where they are bound to rake in a lot more money and interest.
The pair last fought four years ago with Pacquiao and Mayweather making their mega bout the most lucrative in history with the “fight of the century” bringing in about US$500 million in revenue, mainly from a record 4.4 million pay-per-view sales.
Pacquiao said in his local language in an Instagram posting that if the pair were to go toe-to-toe again in their follow-up to their 2015 clash in Las Vegas – which Mayweather won by unanimous decision – it should be in a “real boxing match”.