We were sold this as the fight of the century.
It became the most lucrative fight in history.
Today, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (47) and Manny Pacquiao (49) are preparing to write a second chapter.
But let’s be honest from the start: this fight is arriving fifteen years too late.
So why are we still intrigued?
Because some rivalries refuse to die.
Because boxing is both a sport and a stage.
And because, despite everything, a small voice still whispers to us: what if…?
Photo: BBC – Mayweather VS Pacquiao
The Fight We Should Have Had
Mayweather–Pacquiao should have happened in 2009. Or 2010.
When Manny Pacquiao was an offensive hurricane, dismantling the elite with unreal speed. When Floyd Mayweather was at the peak of his defensive genius—untouchable and methodical.
At that exact moment, the entire world wanted this showdown.
And boxing needed it.
Instead: endless negotiations, promotional stakes, public disputes. The fight finally arrived in 2015… still massive, still historic, but already stripped of its athletic urgency.
What we saw was a masterclass in control, signed by Mayweather. What we had imagined for five years was a war at its absolute peak. For many, the fight left a sense of something unfinished.
This late rematch reopens a wound that never truly healed:
we never got “prime Floyd vs. prime Pacquiao.”
Photo: MMA Fighting – Mayweather VS Pacquiao
Why now?
Because the context has never been more perfect for such a fight.
Modern boxing has become a hybrid: elite competition on one side, mega-immersive spectacle on the other.
A fight inside the Sphere in Las Vegas (with its giant screens, 16K slow motion, and fully immersive sensory experience) turns a matchup into a global event.
It is no longer just a fight.
It is a production.
And Floyd Mayweather Jr., master of marketing, understands the attention economy better than anyone.
47 and 49 years old: why keep fighting?
Because they can.
Manny Pacquiao recently delivered a competitive battle against Mario Barrios, proving he still has fuel left in the tank. Granted, Barrios was later soundly beaten by Ryan Garcia, which puts the achievement into perspective… but it must be admitted that Pacquiao has never been an ordinary fighter.
Mayweather, for his part, does not seem to have lost his speed. Training clips released to the public show a man still sharp, still precise, still fast.
Photo: Yahoo Sports – Mayweather VS Pacquiao
At that age, you no longer fight to climb the rankings.
You fight to extend an identity.
The money? Of course. But also…
Yes, this fight will generate millions.
But reducing the event to a simple paycheck would be simplistic.
Both men have already secured their legacy. Their legacy is sealed. This fight will not change their place in history. On the other hand, it will have a massive economic impact.
An event of this magnitude does not benefit only the headliners.
It creates a prestigious undercard.
It gives prospects a global showcase.
It allows veterans to earn the biggest purse of their careers.
It puts trainers, cutmen, and technical crews to work.
A “monster event” nourishes the entire ecosystem.
Photo: LATimes.com – Mayweather VS Pacquiao
Boxing moves in waves.
A gigantic spectacle can finance several quieter careers.
True fans or the curious?
Purists will grind their teeth.
They will call it a circus.
They will speak of the drift toward entertainment.
And they will not be entirely wrong.
But they will watch anyway.
Because Mayweather’s technique still fascinates.
Because Pacquiao’s heart still intrigues.
Because you do not look away when two legends step back onto the stage.
The curious will come for the nostalgia.
The passionate will come to analyze.
The skeptics will come to criticize.
Everyone will come.
Photo: Sports Illustrated – Mayweather VS Pacquiao
A Fight Too Many?
Perhaps.
But boxing has never been purely athletic. It is emotional, dramatic, unpredictable.
The danger does not lie in this fight itself.
The danger would be if nostalgia became the norm at the expense of the next generation.
If Mayweather–Pacquiao II is presented for what it is—a late chapter between two icons—it can work.
If it is sold as a decisive rematch for history?
Then yes, we are drifting into sports entertainment.
Photo: NewsWeek – Mayweather VS Pacquiao
Noble art or grand spectacle?
The truth is uncomfortable:
boxing is both.
This second act will redefine nothing.
It will not repair the missed appointment of 2010.
It will not change their legacy.
But it will reveal something essential: what the public truly wants today.
Pure competition?
Or an iconic moment?
And what if the answer is this: we still want to believe that, for a few rounds, time can move backward.
Even though, deep down, we know it never will.
