That super fight still isn’t happening. Fans and promoters alike have been pining for Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao to get together in the ring for years, only to be denied by the fighters and their rival promotions time and again, something that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.
While both fighters are belt-holders, they are also in their mid-30s in a sport that is designed around punishing the body. The time for the best possible version of a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is passed already, but the names and records of the two men still carry enough weight to make a match up now or in the near future an enormous event. Which is why it is so disappointing that there is nothing to suggest it will happen anytime soon.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are both coming off of fairly major wins, albeit for different reasons. In April, Manny got revenge for his controversial 2012 loss to Timothy Bradley and regained the WBO Welterweight itle via unanimous decision. The very next month Mayweather survived an upset attempt at the hands of Marcos Maidana, taking a semi-controversial majority decision victory to run his record to 46-0 and add the WBA Welterweight title to his collection.
Once the dust settled from those fights, it was time to look forward to the next bout for each man. Recently both have announced when, but not whom they will fight next. While the details of their opponents are still being worked out, there are some clues as to who we might see face off with the two biggest stars in the sport in the next few months.
First up is Floyd. His next fight is scheduled for September 13, which sadly puts one of the most intriguing opponents for the champ out of play. As Gambling.com noted in their preview of Mayweather’s last fight, Amir Khan made his welterweight debut on the under card with a real opportunity to establish himself as a contender for a headline fight with a victory. Well not only did Khan win that fight with Luis Collazo, he did so with ease. Khan has made his intentions of fighting boxers of Mayweather and Pacquiao’s quality well known, and would be an ideal candidate for the September fight except for the fact that Khan’s Muslim faith means that he adheres to strict dietary restrictions during the month of Ramadan, which would not give him enough time to prepare for a September bout.
With Khan and Pacquiao out of the picture, the names being bandied about are nothing more than retreads. A rematch with Maidana or Miguel Cotto, who Mayweather defeated in 2012, seems likely. The more intriguing prospect for Money May is the thought of a fight with Khan taking place next year, most likely in May.
Pacquiao’s return to the ring is set for November 22, which could be an interesting date if Khan thinks he can recover from Ramadan by then. Currently, however, Pac Man’s camp is hoping to get Juan Manuel Marquez, the man that KO’d Pacquiao in 2012. Should that fight develop, it would be the fifth fight between the two.
However, Marquez doesn’t appear to want a rematch, even with a title on the line. If Marquez’s mind can’t be changed and Top Rank promotions doesn’t want to bring in Khan for the bout, their in-house options seem slim. As of now, the two names being mentioned are Chris Algieri and Luis Carlos Abregu, neither of whom carry the clout of a fighter like Khan, much less Mayweather.
With the two biggest names in the sport ducking one another, and Khan’s religious observances taking him out of play for part of the year, fight fans may find themselves wanting for a truly big feel bout until at least 2015.
