Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao Rematch Commented on by Bob Arum

Mike Chiari

Although both Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have announced their retirement from boxing, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum sees a rematch happening between them in the future.

According to TMZ Sports, the 84-year-old promoter believes Mayweather and Pacquiao will clash again after Money defeated Pac-Man by unanimous decision in May 2015: "It's close to 50-50 but probably leaning more toward the fight happening...more likely than not."

While Arum said he hasn't talked to either boxer about the potential fight, he doesn't think they would turn down the opportunity: "If the match was available, I believe [Manny] would come back for that match. ... If either man agrees to fight, my feeling is that they won't be able to resist."

CEO of Mayweather Promotions Leonard Ellerbe commented on Arum's speculation, per Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports:

"Floyd is retired and nothing has changed. There's nothing else to talk about. He's enjoying his life as a retired fighter and I'm focused on the company. We have four shows in five weeks and that's my focus. There has been no talk, nothing, not a word, about Floyd coming back."

Mayweather retired following his win over Andre Berto in September, and Pacquiao did the same after beating Timothy Bradley on April 9.

Pac-Man did leave the door open for a possible return following the Bradley fight, however, per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times:

If you ask me about my condition, my body ... I'm still OK. I can still give a good fight. I worked hard in training. I feel OK. I like to fight, the way we prepare. I'm happy doing that. My heart is 50/50. I love my family. Boxing is a really hard sport, very difficult. I might enjoy retired life or I may come back. Right now, my decision is to retire ... I love to help people.

Should Pacquiao win a Senate seat in his native Philippines, that would likely complicate the possibility of a comeback.

Mayweather has been focused on his Mayweather Productions brand, and while he hasn't said that he is willing to come out of retirement, he also offered some hope when asked about it in January, according to Andre Vergara of FoxSports.com: "As of right now, I don't have the urge to fight."

While the first edition of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was roundly criticized for being a boring fight, Pac-Man was compromised by a shoulder injury. He proved to be healthy against Bradley and could be far more dangerous in a potential rematch.

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There is no question that another bout between two of the greatest fighters of all time would generate a great deal of interest and draw tons of pay-per-view buys once again, but neither man has much left to prove in the ring.

Mayweather has already come out of retirement on a couple of occasions, though, and Pacquiao's comments suggest he is lukewarm at best to the idea of stepping away from boxing forever.

Because of that and the possibility of massive paydays for both men should they lock horns for a second time, we can't rule out a rematch with certainty quite yet.  

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

   

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