Ahead of his return to the boxing ring, Manny Pacquiao recently clapped back at Floyd Mayweather by saying that he is not fighting ‘just to get paid’.
At 42, Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2) is now preparing to fight the reigning 31-year-old IBF and WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence (27-0) in August 2021.
Soon after his recent 8-round exhibition clash with YouTuber Logan Paul, Floyd Mayweather reacted to Manny Pacquiao‘s decision to fight again after a two-year hiatus. ‘Money’ said, “When I come and do an exhibition and come out boxing and have some fun, I do it cause I want to do it, not cause I have to do it. Pacquiao at his age, [it] is sad that he has to fight.”
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In a chat with Barbershop Conversations, Mayweather added he would back ‘The Truth’, “Of course, I’m behind Errol Spence 100%. I wanna see Spence win. Actually, I’m gonna call him and give him some pointers.” (h/t Express)
On the ‘Power and Play with Noli Eala’ show, Manny Pacquiao said “I’m not like other boxers who fight only for the money. Some challenge non-boxers just for the money. Some challenge non-boxers to get paid. I want the best. If I’m fighting for money, I’d have picked some scrub. This is a real fight.”
Manny Pacquiao responds to Floyd Mayweather saying he's fighting because he 'has to': "I'm not like some who are in it just for money. Some challenge non-boxers to get paid. I want the best. If I'm fighting for money, I'd have picked some scrub. This is a real fight." [@NoliEala] pic.twitter.com/H3KvabI8UP
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) June 27, 2021
Manny Pacquiao is looking to cement his legacy again
Manny Pacquiao has won championships in eight distinct divisions and Errol Spence has a clean 27-0 record. Hence, some experts are calling Pacquiao’s matchup with Spence the biggest fight of the year. ‘Pac-Man’ is coming off a split decision win against Keith Thurman (29-1) in 2019; Errol Spence, one of the most feared welterweights, is coming off a dominant win over Danny Garcia.
Floyd Mayweather’s protege, Gervonta Davis believes that Pacquiao vs Spence will be “a fight for boxing.”
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“You know I’m going with Errol, but it’s a great fight, I know that for sure,” he added.
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Both fighters bring in exceptional records and experience. This fight will surely be a spectacle for all fans of the sport. How do you think this bout will play out?