Promoter: Pacquiao would welcome Mayweather rematch

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says Manny Pacquiao is not against fighting Floyd Mayweather again

SI Wire | May 6, 2015

Promoter: Pacquiao would welcome Mayweather rematch /

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says Manny Pacquiao would be up for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. next year and believes the two sides could again reach a deal to fight.

Mayweather defeated Pacquiao on Saturday in Las Vegas to unify the welterweight crowns.

Mayweather sent a text to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith earlier this week, saying he would be willing to give Pacquiao a rematch.

“I think we now know what the pitfalls were," Bob Arum, who represents Pacquiao, said to ESPN.com. "And, ultimately, with all the aggravation and trouble, look at the pot of gold that we both produced. I think there will probably be less aggravation in a rematch. We understand each other better now. There's a real possibility it could work even better."

Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) will likely be out of action for the next 9-12 months after he has surgery to repair a tear in his right rotator cuff. The procedure will be done by Los Angeles surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

• BISHOP: No more challenges for Floyd Jr.

"We first have to make sure the rotator cuff heals well," Arum said. "Dr. ElAttrache is a famous surgeon, one of the best in the business, so I'm confident the surgery will work, and if it does, why wouldn't we entertain a rematch?"

Pacquiao’s shoulder injury is a source of contention, especially with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which is looking into if Pacquiao lied on his medical questionnaire before the fight.

Mayweather vs Pacquiao: SI's Best Photos

Floyd Mayweather won a unanimous decision over Manny Pacquiao to run his record to 48-0 on May 2. Here are SI's best pictures from the bout.

Two of the judges scored the fight 116-112 for Mayweather, while the other judge scored it 118-110.

Mayweather was successful in throwing his his jab to keep Pacquiao at bay.

Pacquiao threw far fewer punches than he normally does in a fight, with Mayweather actually throwing more. (Text credit: AP)

Pacquiao chased Mayweather around the ring most of the night, but was never able to land a sustained volume of punches. (AP)

After the fight, it was disclosed that Pacquiao injured his right shoulder in training and that Nevada boxing commissioners denied his request to take an anti-inflammatory shot in his dressing room before the fight. (AP)

By winning the welterweight bout, Mayweather cemented his legacy as the best of his generation. (AP)

Pacquiao thought he had won the bout, largely on the basis of a few left hands that seemed to shake Mayweather. (AP)

There were no knockdowns, and neither fighter seemed terribly hurt at any time. (AP)

Mayweather fought confidently in the late rounds, winning the last two rounds on all three scorecards. (AP)

The crowd of 16,507 cheered nearly every time Pacquiao threw a punch. (AP)

Ringside punch stats showed Mayweather landing 148 punches of 435, while Pacquiao landed 81 of 429. (AP)

In the corner, Mayweather's father kept yelling at his son to do more. But Mayweather was content to stick with what was working and not take a risk that could cost him the fight. (AP)

Pacquiao landed probably the biggest punch in the fight in the fourth round — a left hand that sent Mayweather into the ropes — but he wasn't able to consistently land against the elusive champion. (AP)

"He's a very awkward fighter, so I had to take my time and watch him close," Mayweather said. (AP)

Pacquiao had vowed to take the fight to Mayweather and force him into a war. His camp thought Mayweather's 38-year-old legs weren't what they once were. (AP)

"You're tough," Mayweather said to Pacquiao after the bout, hugging him in the ring. (AP)

The fight unfolded before a glittering crowd of celebrities, high rollers and people who had enough money to pay for ringside seats going for $40,000 and up. (AP)

In the final seconds of the fight Mayweather raised his right hand in victory and after the bell rang stood on the ropes, pounding his heart with his gloves. (AP)

"I thought we pulled it out," Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said. "I asked my man to throw more combinations between rounds. I thought he fought flat-footed too many times." (AP)

Mayweather says he'll fight one more time before calling it a career.

Pacquiao was escorted into the ring by Jimmy Kimmel.

Pacquiao said he asked the Nevada Athletic Commission if he could receive an anti-inflammatory shot for his shoulder before the fight, but that request was denied.

Pacquiao could be fined or suspended by the state commission if he is found to have lied on the questionnaire about his pre-fight health.

The 38-year-old Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) has said that he only plans to fight once more, after which his contract with Showtime/CBS expires.

- Scooby Axson

Published May 6, 2015

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