Floyd Mayweather Facing Manny Pacquiao in Next Fight Is Not Realistic

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao may one day step into the ring together, and Money May's career will forever be tarnished if they don't. But in the immediate future, it's just not realistic.

Mayweather proved on Saturday night in his unanimous-decision rematch win over Marcos Maidana that he hasn't lost anything in the ring. And with one comment in the closing moments of Showtime's pay-per-view broadcast of the fight, the 37-year-old showed he hasn't lost the flair for the dramatic that has fueled so much of his career hype.

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael reported his comments:

"

I'm gonna go and talk to my team and see what the future holds. I don't know who I'm fighting in May but I expect to fight in May. Manny Pacquiao needs to focus on the guy in front of him. Once he gets past him, he can look to the future. If the Pacquiao fight presents itself let's make it happen.

"

Of course, Mayweather and Pacquiao have a colorful history that transcends that of any duo who have never actually fought each other. It started in 2008, when Mayweather's short retirement was followed by the Pac-Man's rise to stardom with a knockout of Oscar De La Hoya.

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Mayweather returned to topple Juan Manuel Marquez—Pacquiao's chief nemesis whom he's fought four times—in 2009, and negotiations feverishly transpired on two separate occasions in high-profile fashion before disputes over both drug testing and revenue sharing squandered any opportunity.

It looked more unlikely than ever before when Pacquiao suffered two straight defeats in 2012, but the 35-year-old battled back with wins over Brandon Rios and Timothy Bradley. He enters a bout with Chris Algieri in November that could further validate his status as one of the top fighters in the welterweight class.

So, considering the lack of competition Mayweather faces elsewhere, Pacquiao's resurgence and Saturday night's comments, the anticipated bout is on. Right?

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Well, maybe not. 

As Mayweather later explained, nothing big has changed on the Pacquiao front.

“That’s not my focus,” Mayweather told New York Times' Joe Depaolo. “I got to where I got to by focusing on Floyd Mayweather. I could care less about what Pacquiao does. You guys can keep asking the same questions over and over. You’re going to get the same answers.”

Without surprise, the main hang-up in a Mayweather-Pacquiao superfight would be how it's hosted and how the revenue is cut. Mayweather is in the midst of his Showtime deal, while Pacquiao's fights are aired on HBO.

As Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix notes, Mayweather's stubbornness will deter the fight that so many have dreamed of:

And while Mayweather fueled the fire with headline-making comments about a Pacquiao fight moments after being dealt hundreds of punches to the face, he seemed to backtrack his comments Sunday.

As FightHub's video shows of his Sunday presser at the 6:25 mark, Mayweather quite directly avoids a question about fighting Pacquiao:

You can almost see the awkwardness on the reporters' faces.

Mayweather has to be aware of his legacy, with his return from retirement seemingly focused around adding to his now 47 victories and remaining undefeated while facing the best competition. He's done so in many of his recent fights, but now—just as it was some four years ago—he should be focused solely on securing a Pacquiao fight.

But that's just not Mayweather's focus, and until it is, it's highly unlikely that the dream matchup will ever come to fruition.

There are other options out there, almost all of them being fighters Mayweather could easily entice into doing one of his Showtime fights and get run around the ring for 12 rounds in unsuccessful fashion. Amir Khan could happen. Or maybe Kell Brook.

However, it's safe to say that many will be tuning out until Mayweather swallows his pride and negotiates the fight that everyone is—still—waiting for.