Many were excited when it was announced in February that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. had finally agreed to have a rematch, which was slated for September in Las Vegas.
It, however, has already started to fall apart after Mayweather suddenly wanted to change the terms of engagement. He said it would be just an exhibition bout instead of a real fight. Pacquiao did not agree, stressing that it should be an official fight.
Amid the issue, Oscar De La Hoya chimed in, urging Mayweather to man up.
“Mayweather, come on, dude, fight a real fight. You're still trying to protect your 0. Yes, you're 50 and 0 on paper, but people know you've lost. S***, your own father said you lost against me, back when we fought,” said De La Hoya in a video on Instagram.
“What's crazy is that people don't know that we had a rematch clause for one year. And what did you do? Your p**** a** retires for one year and one day.”
The 53-year-old legend also admitted that he spiraled after getting pummeled by Pacquiao in 2008. But he said it only made him hungrier. He added that he can even get in the ring right now.
“These last five years, I've put in the work. I did a lot of work, and I feel happy. I feel at peace. And you know what? A man at peace is a dangerous man,” added De La Hoya, who won 11 world titles.
“I can take on King Kong if I want and beat his a**. S***, I'll even fight Jake Paul.”
Pacquiao had been aiming for a rematch with Mayweather for years since dropping a unanimous decision in their so-called “Fight of the Century” in 2015.
With Mayweather reportedly experiencing financial issues, finally agreeing to a rematch was a business move. But it looks like it might not happen anymore. Pacquiao has called out Mayweather several times for ducking him.
Mayweather has spent the last few years doing exhibition bouts, including against Paul's brother, Logan Paul, in 2021.
