Floyd Mayweather will reportedly be ringside for Manny Pacquiao's fight this weekend, ramping up rematch rumors
- Manny Pacquiao fights for the 70th time when he takes on Adrien Broner in Las Vegas on Saturday, and Floyd Mayweather will be ringside.
- The news that the unbeaten American will be in attendance has heightened rumors of a rematch.
- Pacquiao said earlier this week that he would welcome a second go at Mayweather, and the rivals even posted social media footage last year saying they were working on a do-over.
- Mayweather reportedly earned $220 million for his 2015 victory over Pacquiao, while Pacquiao apparently banked $142 million.
Floyd Mayweather will be ringside for Manny Pacquiao's next fight, and it has sparked rumors that the old rivals could negotiate a rematch should the Filipino win on Saturday night.
Mayweather has fought just twice since his convincing decision victory over Pacquiao in 2015, while Pacquiao himself has been far more active. The 40-year-old re-claimed his WBO welterweight title in his very next fight against Timothy Bradley in 2016 before defending it three times, including his stunning knockout win over Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur last year.
Pacquiao defends his WBO championship for a fourth time against Adrien Broner at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on January 19, and the CEO of Mayweather Promotions and Mayweather's closest confidant, Leonard Ellerbe, has reportedly confirmed that the American will be in attendance.
"Yes, he's coming," Ellerbe apparently told Philippines newspaper The Philippine Star on January 16.
The news elevates the rumors that the rivals may be discussing a second fight this year should Pacquiao dispose of Broner this weekend, in what will be his 70th fight.
In a separate article, The Philippine Star reports that a source apparently close to both athletes claims the rematch could be held in July, likely in Las Vegas, but with alternative venues in London, England and Russia also being considered. The camps have reportedly been in regular communication in order to make the fight happen.
Mayweather remains retired despite a first round annihilation of the kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in a boxing exhibition in Saitama, Japan on December 31.
Read more: Floyd Mayweather's fight against Tenshin Nasukawa was 'fake,' according to a former fighter
But Pacquiao would welcome Mayweather back to the ring in an instant. "If he were coming back to boxing, then there's a rematch," he said earlier this week, according to Boxing Scene. "If he wants a rematch, then there's a rematch. It's up to him. But right now my focus is this fight because I'm not taking Adrien Broner lightly."
Mayweather and Pacquiao teased a rematch last year
Before Mayweather had settled on the Nasukawa exhibition, he met Pacquiao in the VIP section of the EDM festival Ultra Japan in Tokyo last year. Mayweather then talked up the Pacquiao rematch on his Instagram account, and said he would be "coming back" to fight Pacquiao in 2018. "Another nine figure pay day on the way," he added.
Pacquiao published video footage on his Twitter account with the simple caption "50-1" - a clear reference to what he believed Mayweather's unblemished professional record (currently 50 wins and zero defeats) would have turned to had they traded blows last year.
Mayweather earned $220 million for his 2015 victory over Pacquiao, according to ESPN, while Pacquiao reportedly banked $142 million.