Manny Pacquiao has accused Floyd Mayweather of being "scared to death" of stepping into the ring with him again after their record-breaking 2015 meeting.
The action in the ring was unremarkable on the night when the pair met in Las Vegas seven years ago, but the numbers the event drew were anything but. Over 4.4million people in America bought the pay-per-view, while the gate was believed to be in the region of $72m.
Mayweather only fought twice after that crowning win; beating Andre Berto in a lacklustre retirement bout that September before coming back two years later to face UFC legend Conor McGregor. That crossover fight was expected to overtake the Mayweather vs Pacquiao number, but appears to have come in just short both on pay-per-view and at the box office.
And the former eight-division champion has declared Mayweather is terrified of facing him once more, even in an exhibition bout like he has been doing since retiring. Pacquiao will make a move into that space in his own right on December 10 when he faces DK Yoo in South Korea, and the pair are frequently fielding offers to get back in for one more meeting.
"I don't think that will happen," Pacquiao responded when asked if Mayweather could fight him in 2023. "Because he is scared to death to face me in the ring again, he's scared since the beginning. He already felt like he was intimidated to me and scared to face me in the ring. It might be possible for an exhibition, but I don't know yet."
The pair came head-to-head again in Japan at Mayweather's recent bout with Mikuru Asakura on Super Rizin last month. They shared an awkward encounter that had fans dreaming of another fight, with Pacquiao's appearance at the event never fully explained by he or the promotion.
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Mayweather hung up the gloves after going 50-0 against McGregor in 2017, while Pacquiao only quit boxing last year following a brutal loss to Yordenis Ugas. He opted to focus on his political career but was unsuccessful in his bid to become president of the Philippines.
Since losing the election in his home country, Pacquiao's manager Sean Gibbons has said that the 43-year-old could be tempted out of retirement by a rematch with Mayweather. "Let's go," Gibbons said. "[I] Would love to see it but Mayweather wants none of this smoke due to his ego. Senator Pacquiao would love an exhibition [against Mayweather] if he was to return it would be this year, but that is a big if."
Mayweather has previously indicated he prefers to face opponents in these exhibitions who are unable to cause him any real damage. Over the past 18 months he has faced YouTuber Logan Paul, former sparring partner Don Moore and MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura, the last of whom he stopped within two rounds when the pace was pushed.
