Manny Pacquiao will fight Timothy Bradley for the third time on April 9, and according to Pacquiao, it will be his last time in the ring.
"I am retiring from boxing to concentrate on my political career. My fight with Timothy Bradley will be my last,” Pacquiao said. On its face, it makes sense. He is transitioning into a political career in the Phillippines, he’s only 3-3 in his last six fights, and hasn’t scored a knockout since 2009.
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In May 2015 he and Floyd Mayweather Jr. were in the most lucrative fight in boxing history, and there’s an obvious path to a rematch. Mayweather’s last fight vs. Andre Berto in September 2015 was a dud (by Mayweather’s standards), but it improved his record to 49-0, tying Rocky Marciano’s record when he retired. Mayweather, aware of history, could return in 2016 for one last fight to surpass that mark.
It would coincide with the MGM Grand opening it’s new arena. There’s no one better than Mayweather to christen it, since he has been fighting there exclusively since his blockbuster fight vs. Oscar De La Hoya in 2007. There’s also a built-in storyline to promote the rematch, which is Pacquiao’s health.
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After his loss on May 5, Pacquiao revealed he fought with a shoulder injury that turned out to be a torn labrum that required surgery. Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach have remained steadfast that the fight would’ve turned out differently if he weren’t hurt. Also, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said he won’t promote Pacquiao-Bradley III as a retirement fight.
“We won’t do that for the simple fact that – anything could happen. Sure, it could very well be his last ever fight. But should he turn around one day and say he wants to fight again, we will look like a bunch of hucksters in selling the fight that way,” Arum told Boxing Scene, before invoking Mayweather’s fight vs. Berto as an example.
“Say for example, if Floyd Mayweather decides he wants to have one more fight, he’ll have to explain why he’s coming back after claiming he was done after the (Andre) Berto fight. We’re not going to put Manny in that position.”
These are all comments setting the table for a big-money rematch that will do huge numbers even if they fall well short of the first one. Boxing fans should shun a rematch, since both fighters are well past their primes and holding back younger fighters from taking the throne. But history says they won't stay away, and everyone will be subjected to these two one more time.
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