Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2015: Rematch Between Superstars Feels Inevitable

To be honest with you, I don't really need to write much about why Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will likely contest a rematch in September. In fact, I don't need to write anything, at all.

I'll just let The O'Jays take it away:

Just consider that the soundtrack for this article.

Mayweather holds the cards here because he'll get to pick his next opponent after his relatively stress-free win over Pacquiao on Saturday night. And we all know that Mayweather will pick the path of least resistance that also earns him the biggest paycheck. 

That's why he won't fight Gennady Golovkin, the most appealing possible matchup for Mayweather's next fight. Golovkin might actually beat him. Heck, if Golovkin caught him, he could knock him out. Mayweather would be favored, of course, and in the end might win by decision, as he always does. But Golovkin would be a huge test, and in the end, Mayweather tries to avoid risk whenever possible. 

After all, the entirety of his legacy is tied to his unbeaten record. If he were to lose that in his final fight, what would he have left? 

Well, other than hundreds of millions of dollars, that is. 

It's why Mayweather waited so long to fight Pacquiao. If he had fought him five years ago and lost his undefeated record, he would have lost a huge chunk of his earning potential. Plus—and this is the biggest thing to consider—how would he have ever topped fighting Pac-Man? How would he have continued to earn huge paychecks?

It makes sense, right?

The list of potential contenders for Mayweather to fight over the years has been pretty slim. Fighting Pacquiao was always going to be the biggest possible draw. But by waiting to fight him until he exhausted all other contenders, he ensured that he would earn the biggest possible payday by drumming up the anticipation of making people wait all these years and that he wouldn't have to follow up his fight against Pacquiao with a less appealing, less lucrative matchup. 

What does Mayweather care now if his last fight isn't a huge fight? He earned his nine-figure paycheck Saturday. He could fight Amir Khan, take whatever he gets from the fight (much less than he got from this fight) and ride off into the sunset as everyone's least favorite superstar. 

Ah, but can you really see Mayweather turning down the possibility of a huge payday? 

Nope, me neither. 

And that's why Pacquiao makes the most sense. He's less of a challenge than Golovkin at this point in his career and much more of a draw than Khan, especially among the casual fan. It's easy marketing. They can play up Pacquiao's shoulder injury, talk up the "good vs. evil" storyline again, hammer home Pacquiao's quest for redemption and blah, blah, blah. 

And people will watch. People always watch. 

Plus, it makes sense for Pacquiao. He might as well stuff the coffers for now to help fund his political aspirations, right? He's not going to make more money against another opponent. 

See what boxing has become?

We're not talking about the best matchups or most intriguing personalities or the implications of what might happen in the ring. Mayweather has boiled the sport down to its one evil, prevalent and all-encompassing constant. 

Take it away, Pink Floyd. 

Money, he's indeed a drag. Expect him to drag Pacquiao through at least one more fight before he goes.