Now that one of the biggest boxing events of the year is behind us, it’s apparently time to look forward to the next spectacle. Although it was unexpected, the news has come out that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is planning to come out of retirement. The boxing legend is currently 50-0 and is reportedly going to put his record on the line in a rematch with Manny Pacquiao. BetDSI Sportsbook has already posted a betting line on the event, which could be one of the biggest Pay-Per-View events ever. So what are the odds on another Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight?
Will Mayweather vs. Pacquiao II take place before Dec. 31, 2018?
Yes -150
No +120
Total PPV buys (in millions) for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao II (fight must occur by Dec. 31, 2018 for action)
Over 4.3 (-115)
Under 4.3 (-115)
Moneyline (fight must occur by Dec. 31, 2018 for action)
Floyd Mayweather -265
Manny Pacquiao +215
Total Rounds (fight must occur by Dec. 31, 2018 for action)
11.5 (-300)
11.5 (+200)
Mayweather hasn’t fought since 2017 when he took on Conor McGregor. He looked just as crisp as usual in that bout, winning with a 10th-round technical knockout. The fight with Pacquiao is scheduled for later this year, which would mean that it’s been over a year in between his bouts. That is slightly unusual for him but that was the scenario prior to the McGregor fight as he hadn’t fought since September of 2015 before that matchup. Prior to that, though, Mayweather fought twice in 2015, twice in 2014, twice in 2013, and then once a year from 2010-2012. Of course, the key difference for this bout would be that Mayweather is now 41 years old and will be approaching 42 in February.
On the other hand, though, we have seen Mayweather very carefully picking his opponents over the last few years as he aims to maintain his perfect record. Pacquiao, who is going to be 40 years old in December, falls into that category. When they last fought, Pacquiao was already a fading commodity. At one point in his career, Pacquiao was 54-3-2. Since then, he’s just 6-4 in his last 10 fights, which includes the loss to Mayweather. The bigger concern is that Pacquiao just hasn’t looked the same. Wins over Lucas Matthysse, Jessie Vargas and Timothy Bradley (those are his last three victories) just aren’t overly impressive – even if he was collecting random belts in the process. Mayweather has shown no signs of slowing down at all, so that’s why he’s a favorite here.
While both of these fighters are past their prime, they are still two of the biggest names in the sport. Of course, Mayweather will always be the king of the ring whenever he fights, while Pacquiao is a big brand name internationally. Everyone will also want to tune in to see if Mayweather can remain perfect or whether he’ll finally receive his first blemish. He’s been comfortably retired and could have stayed that way at a perfect 50-0 but he’s decided to run it back one more time and earn one more big payday. We’ll find out if it was worth the risk.
