Copyright GIVEMESPORT
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao brought the boxing, sports, and cultural worlds to a standstill when they traded blows for the first and only time in 2015, fighting to a largely anticlimactic 12-round decision that the American won unanimously, according to the judges. It was the best-selling combat sports event of all time, but even now, 10 years removed from that showdown, it remains at the forefront of the news cycle as Ring Magazine reported Monday that a second fight is "being explored by Netflix." GiveMeSport was on a call with legendary fighter and promoter Oscar de la Hoya, a former six-weight champion and founder of Golden Boy Promotions, and he reacted to the news in real-time, to us, to say "wow!" and that it was an "interesting" development and match-up. De La Hoya famously had already run a gauntlet, beating Julio Cesar Chavez (twice), Pernell Whitaker, and Fernando Vargas before he fought Mayweather, who beat him by a disputed split decision, and Pacquiao, whom De La Hoya lost to after eight rounds of action. Speaking to GiveMeSport, he analysed what a 2026 rematch between his former adversaries could look like, and he even picked a clear winner. Pacquiao vs Mayweather Rematch Has 'Clear Winner' "I look at that, and it all depends on what the rules are going to be," he told us. Pacquiao, per Boxing Scene, suggested he'd only box Mayweather again if it were a "real fight" and not an exhibition, like the ones Mayweather had been linked to against Mike Tyson, and had even entertained alongside the likes of Logan Paul, KSI's brother Deji Olatunji, and John Gotti III, an infamous mob boss's grandson. De la Hoya added: "See. That's why I love Manny Pacquiao. He is obviously willing to fight the very best. He's always been fighting the very best, and even at his age he wants to fight the very best in Floyd. It'll be interesting. I think if it's a real fight with eight-ounce gloves and a normal ring with normal rules, I think it will be an interesting event. It's entertainment, right? "I think there will be a lot of interest for both guys to get inside the ring and duke it out. It'll be a fun fight to watch, I think. If it's a small ring, small gloves, same rules as boxing — I'd watch." The Filipino fighting icon has age and activity on his side as, though he's 46, he's still two years Mayweather's junior. Pacquiao has also fought five times since Mayweather was last seen in a pro ring more than eight years ago. Most recently, Pacquiao boxed Mario Barrios to a majority draw in a WBC welterweight world title fight in a bout many felt he deserved to win. But Mayweather, according to De La Hoya, still has advantages. "You know what, as much as I love Manny Pacquiao [and] as much as I want to go against Mayweather, I can't on this one." He said: "Watching Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios, we have to admit [that] obviously Manny Pacquiao wasn't the Manny Pacquiao that I fought. He did look a little slow and sluggish and that's normal for a 40-something year-old. One thing about Mayweather is he takes care of his body, always in the gym training.
