Share

'Feeling young' Pacquiao eager for Mayweather

Manila - WBO welterweight world champion Manny Pacquiao said on Tuesday he felt like a young man in his twenties and would relish another crack at Floyd Mayweather.

The Filipino icon, 37, made a winning comeback from his brief retirement earlier this month and said he was in great shape to try to avenge his defeat to Mayweather last year in the richest fight in boxing history.

"I feel young. I feel like I'm just 25, or that I'm just 28 years old," Pacquiao told ABS-CBN television.

Asked if he wanted to fight Mayweather again, Pacquiao said: "Of course, if he wants to come back (to) boxing".

Pacquiao fuelled talk of "Pacquiao-Mayweather 2" when he invited the undefeated American, who retired in September 2015, to attend his successful comeback against Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas on November 5.

Last week, Pacquiao teased fans about a possible rematch by posting pictures on social media wearing a suit bearing photos of him and Mayweather in the lining.

But Mayweather, 39, said days later he had no plans to come out of retirement.

Pacquiao originally retired in May after beating American Timothy Bradley in a non-title fight before standing for and winning a seat in the Philippines Senate.

But he said he would not be stepping away from the ring again anytime soon.

"I still believe in my skills. You just need discipline, how you discipline yourself and work hard," Pacquiao said, adding he would only walk away once he no longer wanted to put in the long hours of training.

"Because once you get lazy, that's the start of the decline of your performance and your body."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Lions 0
Titans RSA 72/4
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
58% - 7 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
42% - 5 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE