Despite the fact that Floyd Mayweather officially retired this fall, the sport just can’t seem to let him go. It’s actually a bizarre situation given that most involved with boxing have bitter feelings toward the undefeated champion. The media dislikes him because of his abrasive personality and alleged history with domestic violence; opponents dislike him because he’s been on top for so long; and droves of fans despise him for the reasons above, as well as because his evasive, defensive style of boxing is often seen as boring.
Given all of that, one might assume that Mayweather’s retirement would be celebrated, and that boxing would happily move on. The dirty little secret, however, is that boxing can’t move on, because there’s no one for it to move on with. There’s been some buzz about undefeated heavyweight Deontay Wilder this year, and he’s a physical specimen and knockout machine. If he ever reaches the big stage with a serious challenger, it could be the biggest non-Mayweather story in boxing in quite some time. But for now, Mayweather remains the sport’s biggest name even as he walks away from it—and it isn’t close.
This is why fighters who remain in the sport just can’t seem to get Mayweather off their minds. Earlier this month, Amir Khan made headlines when he said Mayweather was afraid to fight him, adding that he’d still fight the champion any time, and that he’d be able to knock him out. Incidentally, Khan is now building up to an early 2016 bout with Mayweather’s chief rival, Manny Pacquiao. Meanwhile, former pro Oscar De La Hoya recently assured the public that Mayweather would fight again. He suggested that Mayweather cares too much about making money to walk away while he’s still capable of getting in the ring.
But frankly, it’s unclear if people would be particularly invested in a comeback anyway. There’s no doubt another Mayweather fight would bring about astronomical PPV numbers, simply because to most casual fans his name is the only worthwhile one in the sport. Many would tune in just in the hopes that they might see him lose. But the real draw, as we all know, would be if Mayweather ends up negotiating a rematch with Pacquiao, whom he defeated in May in a somewhat-anticlimactic fight.
Such a rematch may seem unlikely now that Mayweather has apparently retired, but virtually no one is taking that retirement seriously. Also, don’t forget that the rhetoric following the first bout was highly suggestive of an eventual rematch. Pacquiao publicist Bob Arum suggested Mayweather should plan for a rematch next April, and there have been indications that Mayweather may want another fight to further assert his superiority. News came out after the first fight that Pacquiao fought with a legitimate shoulder injury, and there’s no doubting Mayweather hated the idea of anything being taken away from his win.
Even though it’s been a while since Arum’s suggestion and the news of the Pacquiao injury, Pacquiao himself still hasn’t dropped the idea. Just a few weeks ago, the Filipino fighter said he wants another crack at Mayweather before he decides to retire, too. Like most everyone else, Pacquiao dismissed talk of Mayweather’s having stepped away from the sport. He also indicated that the rematch was definitely possible—if Mayweather wants it to happen.
We’ll all have to wait and see, but it’s not unusual for stories and indications like these to be circulating before a fight’s actually announced. Boxing needs the rematch, and it’s probably wiser to assume it’ll happen than that it won’t.