Kung may numero unong gustong magkaroon ng rematch sina dating pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao at Floyd Mayweather Jr., nangunguna na rito si Top Rank big boss Bob Arum.
Bagamat inihayag na ni Pacquiao na huli na niyang laban sa Abril 9 ang paghamon kay WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley sa Las Vegas, iginiit ni Arum na tiyak na babalik sa ring ang Pinoy boxer.
“Once that bell rings for that final round,Manny Pacquiao’s going to rethink it and who knows if he decides to return?”sabi ni Arum sa AFP sa Hong Kong.
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“I’ve been in this boxing business for 50 years and I know that fighters retire and other than, say,Rocky Marciano,they come back.”
Hinulaan din ni Arum na malaki ang posibilidad na magkaroon ng rematch sina Pacquiao at Mayweather.
“Will it be Manny’s last fight? I’m not ready to guarantee that.I’d love to see a Mayweather-Pacquiao second fight,of course I would.The first fight was by far the most lucrative in the history of boxing,” diin ni Arum.”But Mayweather has to un-retire,Manny has to decide whether or not he’s elected to the Senate and he’ll do the rematch, so we’ll have to see.You know, I’m done predicting what athletes are going to do.”
Ngunit tinawanan lamang ng nagretirong si Mayweather ang balitang muli silang magsasagupa ng eight-division world champion.
Nagretiro si Mayweather matapos mapantayan ang rekord ni dating world heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano na perpektong 49 panalo nang talunin sa puntos si dating WBC at IBF welterweight titlist Andre Berto ng Haiti noong nakaraang Setyembre.
Sa panayam ng TalkSport, nagyayabang na sinabi ni Mayweather na ni wala sa isip niya na sumampa sa lonang parisukat dahil sapat na sa kanya na maging kampeon sa super featherweight, lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight, at junior middleweight divisions.
Ipinagyabang din niya na kumikita ang kanyang promotional company na Mayweather Promotions at mayroon na siyang tatlong world champion sa pangunguna ni WBC super middleweight champion Badou Jack na isa ring Amerikano.
“As of right now I’m not focused on me,I’m focused on the young fighters under the Mayweather Promotions banner,and trying to help,”ani Mayweather.“I’m not thinking about who I could fight or who I could come out of retirement for, I just want to get back into the sport in a different way.”
Iginiit ni Mayweather na halos 20 taon na siyang lumalaban kaya ngayong nagkaroon na siya ng mga investment na kumikita ng pitong pigura kada buwan ay masisiguro na ang kinabukasan ng kanyang mga anak.
“I’ve been fighting my whole life and as a professional I competed at the highest level for 20 years,so it’s time for me to let the young guys take over. I will make seven figures a month for the rest of my life,”dagdag ni Mayweather. “I’ve made some very smart investments and I’m living very comfortably, my children are going to school and will be going to college soon, and that’s what is most important to me right now.I’m just blessed way beyond belief.” (Gilbert Espeña)
