Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Predicting Result of Potential Superfight Rematch

The embers are still burning after Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s impressive victory over Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night, but talk of a rematch threatens to fuel the flames of what would most likely be known as "Fight of the Century II."

While part one offered a less obviously exciting contest between this generation's two most coveted welterweights, the market undoubtedly remains for a sequel to the $300 million bout that captured the imaginations of millions across the globe.

Let's take a look at the reasons for a rematch and, indeed, predict how a second face-to-face would pan out.

Reasons for a Rematch

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In boxing terms, the most obvious reason for a rematch came after Mayweather's mastery of an obviously unfit Pacquiao on Saturday night.

Pac-Man was reportedly blocked from taking an anti-inflammatory injection after failing to tick the correct box on his pre-fight questionnaire, an act that could land him with a perjury charge, as Christian Red and Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News reported.

Gareth A. Davies of The Telegraph suspects this storyline could allow both teams to "piece together another chapter." Promoting a fully fit Pacquiao would likely gain plenty of interest and could be the leading plot heading into a second bout.

The most obvious reason for a rematch is indeed the money. Both fighters received the biggest paydays of their careers first time round, and with ticket sales, pay-per-view purchases and everything else considered, they bring in the cash like nobody else can.

Who Would Win a Rematch?

Mayweather's unanimous-decision win cannot be contested in any way. He dominated the fight from Round 1 when he took refuge in the centre of the ring, planted his feet and counter-punched with the accuracy that has defined his career.

Bleacher Report's Adam Lefkoe and Corey Erdman of Fight Network looked back at the fight:

Pacquiao's shoulder may have stopped him from launching powerful shots with his right. That's a given. However, the Filipino's movement wasn't impeded, and he rarely got anywhere near his American opponent.

CompuBox, as the MailOnline tweeted, provided stats that suggested even if Pacquiao could use his right normally, it would have made little difference:

With surgery likely on the horizon for Pacquiao, per Reuters (h/t The Guardian), there's no guarantee his right shoulder will ever fully recover. It's likely a yearlong process to full recovery, which would further hamper his ability to close the distance on Mayweather.

Mayweather's superior height and reach aided his ring control, but his footwork ensured he could throw and escape in one seamless motion. Pacquiao will never have an answer to this.

His game plan should have been to offer a flurry of activity, perhaps every other round, to at least maintain the impression he was making an impact to the judges. He needed to risk being hit to unleash a shot of his own. Just flitting on the outskirts provided an obvious tactical win for Mayweather, whose defensive quality remains unscratched.

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The most telling part of Mayweather's win was that he could have upped the ante any point. He gained a little swagger in the closing rounds and began to tee off on Pacquiao. There was the underlying sense that if he wanted to end the fight, he could have.

Mayweather made it look easy. While this didn't excite many casual fans across the world, it was a showing of complete control in which such legendary names are forged. Many want to see what happens when Mayweather hits the deck, but after beating Pacquiao so effortlessly, it's difficult to suggest this will ever happen.

A rematch is an obvious win for both fighters on financial terms, but Mayweather would match Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record if the two squared off once more.