Floyd Mayweather says he told former opponent Manny Pacquiao that he was “in the wrong” to discuss a potential 2024 exhibition rematch between the boxing greats.
Speaking in December, Pacquiao told fans of his “hope” that he would face Mayweather in a fight organised by Japanese MMA promotion RIZIN, revisiting the highest-grossing boxing match in history when the pair met as professionals in 2015.
“When Manny Pacquiao spoke about that, he shouldn’t have,” said Mayweather, speaking to the Pivot Podcast. “There’s a time and a place for everything. I’m not going to say he’s right and I’m not going to say he’s wrong.
“I said ‘you know you’re in the wrong.’ I want you guys to go check out Manny Pacquiao when he when he got upset a few times when he said ‘oh Floyd, you’re using my name.’
“Remember, he got famous because they said this could be the guy that could possibly dethrone the king. Did it happen? Absolutely not. Was he easy? Absolutely he wasn’t easy.”
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Mayweather won by unanimous decision in Las Vegas in arguably the most anticipated fight of modern times, retaining his WBA, WBC, and The Ring welterweight titles and taking Pacquiao’s WBO belt in an event which earned $410m in pay-per-view revenue.
The American retired from professional boxing with a perfect 50-fight record in 2017, while the last of Pacquiao’s 72 bouts in the sport came in 2021.
Both veterans have taken part in exhibition bouts since then, with 46-year-old Mayweather encountering opponents including YouTube and reality television stars.
Pacquiao, who is a year younger than Mayweather and has shared photos and footage of himself training and sparring this month, beat martial artist DK Yoo in South Korea in December 2022.
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The former Philippines senator had hoped to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, only for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to deny him a place because the age limit for boxers at the Games is 40.
The Philippine Olympic Committee wanted the IOC to grant Pacquiao a ‘universality’ entry, giving him special dispensation to take part because of his profile.
Taylor Swift: Mayweather on pop star’s longevity
Mayweather claimed her had been given “a check” for $4m simply because Pacquiao had said his name but would not elaborate on where the money came from because of a desire not to “throw certain individuals under the bus”.
The five-weight champion spoke about his philosophy and legacy when he was asked why he chose to fight former UFC champion Conor McGregor in his final professional bout and whether he could sell more tickets than stadium-filling pop star Taylor Swift.
“For me, it’s chess,” he said. “I’m all the pieces on the board. The fighter is one pawn. I control the popcorn, the soda and the liquor.
“I control the seats, the mat and the pay-per-view. When you’re competing against Floyd Mayweather, all you’ve got to do is put your stuff on and show up.
“Taylor Swift didn’t come up in the same era as me. But I don’t know if Taylor Swift can be relevant for 30 years.”
