ANGER FOR POSSIBLE MAYWEATHER – PACQUIAO REMATCH SHOULD TAKE BACK SEAT TO REMARKABLE ENDEAVOR OF THE FIGHTERS

March 29, 2024

Simon Ruvalcaba

 

 

With speculation that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are in talks for a December showdown after the two ran into each other at the Tokyo music festival in Japan, many fight fans and media has dismissed having any interest in the bout following what the first match up produced. It is an intrigue to a few, if you believe that Manny hurt his shoulder in the first bout and that a rematch would produce a different result? Regardless of the break down of the bout and whether you care or not, the reason why I would support them is for personal reasons when you are reminded of where these two have come from to be in the position they are in today!

Floyd Mayweather Jr from Grand Rapid, Michigan and Manny Pacquio from what amounts to the slums of the Philippines. It is the ultimate show of what a sports career, and more specific, what a boxing career could lead to. In a world of underdogs looking for hope and stardom, Mayweather and Pacquiao have reached levels beyond what they could have imagined! Mayweather’s vision was beyond his time and now has made new era fighters more conscious of money that they have a right to get a share of. When Floyd turned down the “slave contract” that Top Rank was offering to resign him, many where critical. He since showed the star and promotional power that the elite fighters are capable of and has gained multi-millions in back end earnings, earnings that at one time where going to networks and promoters with only a minimal piece going to fighters. Manny Pacquiao, who for most of his career was a loyal fighter to his promoter and team, but now under much speculation, is not fighting in the United States because of his tax debt. Now with his publicized financial troubles, the likes of those involved in Pac’s heyday are now distancing themselves and leaving him on his own for these possible opportunities based off of recent comments in various interviews.

Just think about this though, Manny Pacquiao who came from poverty in the Philippines and Floyd Mayweather Jr, from a fighting family but from obscurity nonetheless met court-side in Miami at a Heat’s game in what seemed to help push the process that made the deal for the first fight, and now have ran into each other recently at the Tokyo music festival in Japan. Again, a kid from Grand Rapids, Michigan and a kid from Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines Met court-side of a Miami Heat Game and met again in Japan at the Tokyo Music Festival. In what other walk of life would this be possible?

For all the dangers of a sports career, these are two stories that continue to show that through sports, the poor can dream big and those dreams can come true. For Manny, this could be ultimate redemption for all those years of being considered among the best pound for pound fighters, through his spiritual growth mid-career that made him lose that wild man mentality in the ring, the mentality that many of his fans think he should’ve had against Mayweather when they fought? For Floyd, this dis-spells those thoughts that he only wanted the money and the 50 and 0 and is too afraid to risk a loss? Sure it’s a 9 figure payday also and that is always near impossible to refuse, and Pacquiao would seemingly be fixing his financial situation while attempting to redeem a less then stellar performance?

It only makes sense that these two fighters, who where so connected for most of their careers, to finish with each other? A site like Dubai or even Japan would be a big attraction for the rematch or imagine the atmosphere of a fight in the U.K.? You often hear from musicians that you can take them out of the ghetto but you can’t take the ghetto out of the artist. Where these two fighters came from is still the root of their hunger and determination. Before you see this possible rematch as two spoiled fighters going at it, don’t forget where they came from to get to where they are at today. Those auspicious beginnings is why they are willing to risk their established reputations. That in itself shouldn’t be forgotten nor ignored. Plus, like the first fight, I suspect many out there will be scrambling on fight night to check it out. It will be interest and attention that could never have been imagined in the environments that they came from.


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