Pacquiao: I deserved to beat Mayweather!

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Manny PacquiaoWhile Floyd Mayweather Jr. is talking retirement following the conclusion of his scheduled Sept. 12 clash against former welterweight titlist Andre Berto, former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao is talking about a rematch with his longtime rival, with the Filipino still insisting that he still won the fight.

As we have reported throughout the end of July and even parts of August, Showtime/CBS has offered Mayweather a three-fight extension. We haven’t heard anything more than that to this juncture, but if anyone can lure Mayweather out of retirement based on a money standpoint, Pacquiao probably has the best shot.

On Thursday, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman revealed that if Pacquiao were to fight WBC Silver welterweight champion Amir Khan, it would be a WBC title eliminator, with the winner achieving mandatory challenger status to Mayweather’s throne.

However, there’s no guarantee that Mayweather will stick around.

“I want to fight Mayweather in a rematch. I’ll be ready for that mentally and physically next year. I’ll show a better performance against him than in the first encounter,” Pacquiao told Fight News.

Pacquiao knew coming into the fight that he was fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr., not Chris Algieri. He couldn’t rely on swing rounds to win the fight; he had to win decisively, and land consistently.

I had Pacquiao up 4-2 as the seventh round commenced, as he landed some good shots – including several solid counter right hands – but the second-half is notoriously a time where Mayweather adjusts and renders his opponents ineffective – and that’s exactly what he did – blocking punches and countering Pacquiao with jabs and straight right hands.

“He [Mayweather] was running away all the time. I was making the fight by stalking him, and I believe that I deserved a victory,” Pacquiao added.

Stalking and not landing doesn’t win you the fight.

It was a sensational performance by Floyd Mayweather – a phenomenal tactician – who never allowed the more powerful Pacquiao to connect with any big blows as he cruised in the second half of the fight.
Some say the fight wasn’t worth the wait. I say it was because now we finally have closure.

A rematch is not needed because nothing will change. Floyd will be Floyd and Manny will be Manny. Congrats to Floyd Mayweather on the keystone moment of his career.