In an out-of-the-blue declaration, Floyd Mayweather revealed on Saturday: He will be coming out of retirement to fight Manny Pacquiao in the ring for the second time.
The unbeaten boxing superstar made the announcement on Instagram.
"I’m coming back to fight Manny Pacquiao this year another 9 figure pay day on the way @mayweatherpromotions" Mayweather said.
The 2015 Mayweather-Pacquiao face-off, billed as "The Fight of the Century" was a professional boxing match between undefeated five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.
It took place on May 2, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather Jr. won the contest by unanimous decision, with two judges scoring it 116–112 and the other 118–110.
Despite the massive hype that surrounded the mega match, critics felt the bout itself was disappointing, primarily citing Mayweather's defense-oriented strategy in the ring and Pacquiao's difficulty in landing punches on Mayweather.
After the announcement, quickly picked up by the international media, Mayweather drew flak for his boxing style, with some Filipino boxing fans daring him to "show us boxing fight, not marathon."
Following are some of the comments:
Disappointment
In the eyes of boxing fans and critics, the Mayweather-Pacquiao 2015 fight didn't settle the question on which legend deserved true "Fighter of His Generation" title.
Mayweather was seen to have defeated a version of Pacquiao that probably shouldn't have been fighting as Filipino fighter entered the ring severely compromised after aggravating an already-torn right rotator cuff in training three weeks prior to the bout.
The fight was considered to be one of the most-anticipated sporting events in history, but it was largely considered a letdown by critics and audiences alike upon its broadcast.
