John Locher/Associated Press

Manny Pacquiao Says He Wants Floyd Mayweather Rematch After Adrien Broner Win

Kyle Newport

Although Saturday offered no definitive answer as to whether or not Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao 2 will happen, one potential participant made it clear he is up for a rematch.

After defeating Adrien Broner to retain the WBA welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night, Pacquiao let it be known he was open to another clash with the currently retired boxing legend, per Showtime Boxing:

"Tell him to come back to the ring, and we will fight," Pacquiao said. "I'm willing to fight again ... if he's willing to come back in boxing."

Mayweather, though, declined to answer when asked if he accepted Pacquiao's challenge.

That was not the first time Mayweather avoided the question on this night. During the Pacquiao-Broner tilt, he sidestepped Showtime Boxing's question on the matter:

"Y'all constantly keep asking about the fight with Manny Pacquiao, he must get past Adrien Broner first," Mayweather told Showtime Boxing. "And as of right now, I'm living a happy life."

Well, Pacquiao did get by Broner, and in rather convincing fashion.

Now, the boxing world waits to see what's next.

Mayweather has not had an official bout since he knocked out UFC star Conor McGregor in his boxing debut in August 2017. That fight helped Money retire at a nice round number in the win column, 50-0.

Although the fight did not factor into his official record, the 41-year-old did, however, take on Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in an exhibition in Tokyo on New Year's Eve, winning via first-round knockout.

Meanwhile, the 40-year-old Pacquiao improved to 61-7-2 with the victory over Broner. He has now won four of his last five fights, losing only to Jeff Horn in July 2017.

Mayweather and Pacquiao met back in May 2015 in a showdown that was dubbed "The Fight of the Century." A unanimous-decision victory gave Mayweather victory No. 48 in his storied career—but it didn't come without some controversy.

Pacquiao revealed after the fight that he had a torn rotator cuff, but because he failed to disclose the injury to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, he was not able to receive an anti-inflammatory shot on the night of the fight. He underwent surgery to repair the cuff just days after the fight.

Money later took to Instagram to say, "'Don't have an excuse'. Winners win and losers have excuses."

Mayweather initially told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith in the days after the initial fight that he was willing to fight Pacquiao once he was fully recovered from his surgery. He changed his mind less than a week later, though, saying Pacquiao should "accept the loss."

However, talk of a rematch gained new life last September when Mayweather himself announced he was ready to make it happen:

Back in April 2016, Mayweather let it be known he would only come back if the money was right:

Given the numbers from the first Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, a rematch figured to be an attractive option for Money. According to CNN's Chris Isidore, the first fight between the two boxing stars brought in more than $500 million in revenue and featured a record 4.4 million pay-per-view buys.

Per David Mayo, then writing for MLive.com, Mayweather earned approximately $210 million for the bout, while Pacquiao topped the $140 million mark.

It will be tough for a rematch, especially given their ages now, to eclipse the initial revenue totals. However, it would still likely lead to quite the payday.

Mayweather has shown willingness to entertain the idea of a rematch in the past, and now, it appears as though it's up to him to make it a reality.

   

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