Floyd Mayweather Jr. And Manny Pacquiao Could Finally Fight In 2015

Floyd Mayweather Jr. may soon be making way for a long-awaited bout with Manny Pacquiao, with an important person in Mayweather’s camp pushing for the fight to happen in 2015.

Mayweather recently promoted a “big surprise” for next May, leading many to speculate that he and Pacquiao had finally settled their differences and decided to fight. Instead, Mayweather ended up announcing a rematch with Marcos Maidana.

In a statement issued Thursday, Floyd Mayweather Jr. said:

“Marcos Maidana is a tough customer and he gave me a fight that had me work for the victory. His style is difficult at best, but with experience comes a way and will to win.

“I’m not one to give second chances in the ring, but I want to give the fans what they want to see. I will be as prepared as I always am when I step in the ring on Sep. 13. I only see the outcome one way and that’s another successful night for me and my team.”

Though it may not have been the bout with Pacquiao that many hoped for, there are reportedly some very important people in Floyd’s camp pushing for the fight to happen sometime later that year.

Ivan G. Goldman of BoxingInsider.com has a source who claims that Floyd Mayweather Sr, Floyd’s trainer and a trusted adviser, plans for the fight with Manny Pacquiao to happen sometime after the Maidana rematch.

Goldman claimed:

“The source, who’s both a manager and trainer and quite knowledgeable, said Floyd Senior made the remark about Pacquiao as they discussed other matters. He wasn’t absolutely sure that Daddy Floyd wanted his comments repeated so he asked me not to identify him. He’s known the father for many years. Floyd Senior, he said, wants the fight to cement his son’s legacy and bring in what would certainly be the biggest haul in boxing history. The source wasn’t absolutely certain when they spoke two weeks ago that the entire team was in agreement on a Pacquiao fight.

“‘I thought at the time that maybe the dad was just saying that because he was trying to motivate the fight.’ Just the fact that the father is pushing for the fight is significant, but the source said that since then he’s seen other indications that the rest of the team is on board.”

It’s not just Mayweather’s camp pushing for the fight. Pacquiao’s longtime promoter, Bob Arum, has been publicly talking up the idea of a bout.

“On our side the answer is yes [he fight can be made in 2014], we’re very open to it,” Arum told the media after Pacquiao’s win over Brandon Rios earlier this year. “There are ways it can get done, they have to dumb down the rhetoric, we are prepared to dumb down the rhetoric and get it done. There is no real impediment to having that fight happen whether it will or not depends completely on the Mayweather side. I can see it happening but I can’t predict that it will happen because it takes two to tango.”

Time could be running out on a Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. match. The two have danced around committing to a fight but have never been able to agree on terms for one. While Mayweather remains at the top of his game at 46-0, Pacquiao is seeing his star fade a bit. Recent bouts with Brandon Rios and Timothy Bradley have not been big draws, and a November 22 match against Chris Algieri is not too highly regarded either.

But a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. would still be an enormous draw. Insiders believe the fighters would command $50 million each when they do meet.