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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao could be set to renew their rivalry following confirmation that talks are taking place over a potential rematch in 2026. Back in May 2015, Mayweather and Pacquiao were involved in the most financially lucrative fight in boxing history, with the former claiming a unanimous decision victory. Over a decade later, they may run it back, with Pacquiao stating a deal has “almost” been agreed. Mayweather and Pacquiao are widely regarded as two of the best fighters to ever lace up a pair of boxing gloves. So, with a rematch potentially just around the corner, who has the better resume? This is where Pacquiao has the clear edge. The Filipino icon started his boxing career when he was still only 16 back in 1995, and he went on to win his first world title at flyweight three years later. Having got his hands on championship gold while still a teenager, Pacquiao had plenty of time to fill out and move through the divisions. That’s exactly what he did as he won titles all the way up to the super welterweight division, a full three stones above the flyweight limit. Pacquiao is the only eight-weight world champion in boxing, and it is a feat that is unlikely to ever be repeated. Meanwhile, Mayweather started out at super featherweight in late 1996 after winning Olympic bronze earlier in the year. He won his first world title at 21 and gradually worked his way through the world categories. The American star also found that the super welterweight division was his ceiling, and he ended his career in 2017 as a five-weight champion. For long periods in their respective careers, Mayweather and Pacquiao competed in different divisions against different opponents. However, over time, Pacquiao caught up with Mayweather, and they finished with five rivals in common – Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley. Pacquiao fared far better against De La Hoya and Hatton than Mayweather did. De La Hoya pushed Mayweather all the way before losing a split decision, while Pacquiao dominated over eight rounds before De La Hoya’s corner waved the fight off. Mayweather also needed 10 rounds to get past Hatton, whereas Pacquiao got the job done in two. Pacquiao can also claim bragging rights over Mayweather when it comes to their results against Cotto. He managed to stop the Puerto Rican legend in the final round back in 2009, but Mayweather was taken the distance three years later. Mayweather and Pacquiao both comfortably outpointed Mosley, but the former had a far easier time against Marquez. Pacquiao famously fought Marquez four times, picking up two razor-thin points wins and a draw in their first three bouts before Marquez brutally knocked him out in their fourth meeting. Mayweather only faced Marquez once in a relatively drama-free contest. He knocked the Mexican star down in the second round before coasting to a lopsided points victory. Mayweather and Pacquiao have well over 100 wins between them, but some stand out more than others. Mayweather truly announced himself as a pound-for-pound star when he stopped Diego Corrales in the 10th round after handing out a one-sided beating in 2001. The bookmakers had struggled to split the pair heading into the fight, but Mayweather quickly made a mockery of the odds. From the mid-2000s onwards, he started to target some iconic names and beat them all. Mayweather saw off the challenges of Arturo Gatti, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez as he established himself as the best fighter on the planet. He kept testing himself into his late thirties, seeing off Canelo Alvarez and Pacquiao himself before retiring with an unbeaten 50-0 record eight years ago. Pacquiao’s list of victories is also mightily impressive. He holds wins over the Mexican trio of Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, while he also had a remarkable three-fight run across the space of 11 months that saw him beat De La Hoya, Hatton and Miguel Cotto. One of his biggest scalps came in November 2010 when he overcame a major size difference to outpoint Antonio Margarito. It is testament to Pacquiao’s longevity that he went on to become the oldest welterweight champion ever by edging Keith Thurman on points almost a decade later. Mayweather certainly has the upper hand in this category as he has never lost a professional bout. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have any controversial fights, though. Some fans will argue that he could easily have lost his first fights against Jose Luis Castillo and Marcos Maidana, respectively. Both contests were extremely close and could have gone either way. Mayweather granted rematches to Castillo and Maidana, beating them more convincingly the second time around. Mayweather was perhaps fortunate to avoid disqualification on a couple of occasions as well. His team stormed the ring after a series of low blows from Zab Judah during their fight in 2006. Luckily, order was restored and the fight was allowed to resume, with Mayweather going on to pick up a points win. Five years later, he faced Victor Ortiz, and a time-out was called after Ortiz landed a deliberate headbutt on Mayweather. Ortiz was docked a point and apologised to Mayweather but was not defending himself when Mayweather landed a left hook-right hand combination that knocked him down. Referee Joe Cortez seemed taken aback by Mayweather’s ruthlessness but still counted Ortiz out to hand Mayweather a knockout victory. Pacquiao has been involved in 23 more fights than Mayweather and has eight more losses. He was stopped twice early in his career, both times in the third round, before he had fully established himself as a household name. He went on to suffer defeats at the hands of Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez and Mayweather, and some feel he deserved to lose more than just once against Marquez. However, he also appeared unfortunate to have a couple of decisions go against him. Many believe he should have got his hand raised in his first fight with Tim Bradley, but the American got the nod via split decision. Pacquiao subsequently won their next two fights. Pacquaio’s clash with Jeff Horn in 2017 was also controversial as the Australian won on points in his hometown, despite most ringside observers feeling Pacquiao had done enough. Pacquiao’s most recent loss came against Yorgenis Ugas in 2021, but PacMan was 42 and some way past his best. One criticism aimed at Mayweather is that he picked the opportune moment to face opponents rather than fighting them at their best. This was not a major issue in the first part of his career, but some fans were frustrated that he waited so long to take on Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and, of course, Pacquiao, while Mayweather has also been accused of choosing to face Canelo Alvarez before he was ready to step up to the elite level. There were also some calls for Mayweather to take on the likes of Kostya Tszyu, Paul Williams and Antonio Margarito, but these fights never happened. Pacquiao arguably challenged himself more but also faced criticism for his use of catchweights. One of Pacquiao’s best wins came against Miguel Cotto, but the fight took place at 145lbs rather than the welterweight limit of 147lbs, leaving some to question whether Cotto was weight-drained. Pacquiao fought Margarito the following year in a super welterweight contest, but neither man was allowed to tip the scales above 150lbs. Pacquiao dominated from the opening bell, while Margarito looked a shadow of the fighter he had been when competing regularly at 154lbs. It is very difficult to look beyond Mayweather given that he holds a win over Pacquiao and has never been beaten. Pacquiao may have a claim to being the more exciting fighter, but he has fallen short in multiple big fights, whereas Mayweather always solved the puzzle in the end. Pacquiao could also be regarded as the better pound-for-pound star due to his record of winning title in eight divisions compared to Mayweather’s five. To be equally effective across divisions spanning three stones in weight is a remarkable achievement. But when it comes to overall resumes, Mayweather just seems to have the edge thanks to his ability to always win against high-level opponents who rarely even troubled him. Pacquiao was pushed more throughout his career and sometimes did not have enough to come out on top. Would Pacquiao winning the proposed rematch change things? Probably not. If the fight does take place in 2026, Mayweather will be 49 and Pacquiao 47. Fans are far more likely to remember how their first fight played out when they were both nearer to their prime years. But it would offer Pacquiao the chance for revenge, while Mayweather could prove once and for all that he is the better fighter with the better resume. DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
