FLOYD MAYWEATHER insisted young fighters calling out Manny Pacquiao is “sad” and told them to instead “chase each other”.
Unbeaten Mayweather beat Pacquiao in 2015 before two years later officially retiring from professional boxing after fighting UFC star Conor McGregor.
Floyd Mayweather insisted young fighters calling out “old” Manny Pacquiao is ‘sad’Credit: Getty
But PacMan, 41, shows no signs of slowing down and won the WBA welterweight title against Keith Thurman, 31, last July.
The Filipino great has since been called out by Errol Spence Jr, 30, Terence Crawford, 32, Mikey Garcia, also 32 and even 21-year-old prospect Ryan Garcia.
Mayweather, 43, raised no concerns about “old man” Pacquiao continuing to compete but insisted the eight-weight champion should be allowed to decide who he faces.
He told FightHype: “It’s his prerogative to do what he wants to do. I don’t have anything against him, but it’s not me.
“It’s sad that you hear guys say, ‘I want to fight Manny Pacquiao.’
“But Manny Pacquiao is 41 now. Don’t chase him. You young guys chase each other. Stop chasing this old man. If the opportunity presents itself, go out and do what you got to do.
“Let Manny Pacquiao pick and choose who he wants to fight. With everything he’s accomplished, hopefully, he’s made some smart investments.”
Since PacMan reclaimed a welterweight title, he has been linked with unification bouts against IBF champ Spence and WBO king Crawford.
Pacquiao, though, has registered the most interest in rematching Mayweather, after the 50-0 American announced last year that he was “coming out of retirement in 2020”.
But Mayweather insisted he is not interested in lacing up the gloves to face regular boxers, citing he has nothing left to prove, but appeared to open the door for another crossover fight against McGregor or Khabib Nurmagomedov.
He said: “If I see an opportunity where I can entertain and have a little fun and make six hundred million, why not? If I am going to do something it’s got to be worth it.
“But there’s no number that’s worth me getting back in that ring and fighting these young fighters to get any type of wear and tear on my body.
“Am I going to fight any fighters as of right now? No. I’m retired. I’m retired from the sport of boxing.
“I’m training, having fun, and enjoying life. I don’t want for nothing. I’m not retired from business.”
Pacquiao reclaimed a welterweight world title last yearCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Mayweather has only returned to the boxing gym in recent weeksCredit: Instagram @floydmayweather
Floyd Mayweather stays sharp showing off speed in gym training session as rumours over a return continue to surface
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
