Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have been reunited in Japan - leaving fans convinced the rivals are plotting a rematch.
The best fighters of their generation finally met in 2015 with Mayweather cruising to a comfortable points victory in Las Vegas. He went on to fight just twice more, beating Andre Berto and Conor McGregor before having up his gloves with a pristine 50-0 record.
Pacquiao, however, fought on for another six years, winning five of his seven fights before retiring last August following his defeat by Yordenis Ugas. The Filipino is set to join Mayweather on the lucrative exhibition circuit when he takes on YouTuber DK Yoo in South Korea in December before facing former sparring partner Jaber Zayani in Saudi Arabia two months later.
Mayweather is in Tokyo this weekend to take on MMA star Mikuru Asakura in a nine-minute, three-round cash grab which he claims could earn him up to $20million. He will then take on YouTube star Deji, brother of KSI, in Dubai in November, as he continues to fund his lavish lifestyle.
It is unclear why Pacquiao has travelled to Japan but fans are convinced he and Mayweather could lock horns again. "Oh man, rematch," one wrote on social media, while another added: "They might try to make big money through an exhibition." Not all fans were pleased at the prospect of a second meeting, however, with one saying: "Their rematch will be an exhibition and it’s going to suck." Another fan thought the photo of the two legends was simply "awkward".
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Pacquiao quit boxing to focus on his political career but failed in his bid to become president of the Philippines. And his manager Sean Gibbons said earlier this year that the 43-year-old could be tempted out of retirement by a rematch with Mayweather.
"Let's go. [I]Would love to see it but Mayweather wants none of this smoke due to his ego," he said. "Senator Pacquiao would love an exhibition [against Mayweather]. If he was to return it would be this year, but that is a big if." Pacquiao's decision to subsequently agree to two low-risk bouts suggests a sequel with his biggest rival could yet become a reality.
