EDITORIAL - The folly of a Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch

It is easy to understand why some people are now suggesting a rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. Pacquiao has just come off a very convincing unanimous 12-round decision over the hard-hitting and much younger champion, Jessie Vargas, who he decked in the second round but never got to finish off. While he did seem a bit slower in that fight, Pacquiao appeared to have remarkably retained much of his form and power.

And then there was that fight with Mayweather itself, which was the greatest ho-hum bout if ever there was one, and thus, left one of the greatest questions in boxing still hanging-who was the better fighter, Pacquiao or Mayweather? Over 12 rounds, no real fight occurred. Instead, the world was treated to a display of the superb evasive and defensive skills of Mayweather and the tremendous stamina and power of Pacquiao, if only he could hit and be hit in return.

The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, for all the genuine interest and passion it generated before the fact, became instead the greatest boxing travesty of all time when it happened. For all the superstar status of both fighters, and the hundreds of millions of dollars they earned between them, all that the world got was a dance that lasted less than an hour.

Pacquiao and Mayweather got filthy rich for nothing. People paid through the skin of their backs for tickets that shot up to the moon and beyond. The price of the cheapest seats were more than many Filipinos can earn in a lifetime. But the worst cut and the saddest part of it all was that Pacquiao played an unforgivable part in the entire charade.

Interviewed on TV shortly after the fight, Pacquiao admitted he had secretly been nursing an injured shoulder and was only, in his own words, 60 percent for the fight. What? This was to be the fight of the century and you fought with an injured shoulder and was not 100 percent? Had you no consideration and compassion for the millions who bet good money on you, trusting that you can give your all?

What about the thousands of others who had to travel all over the globe to be at ringside or the millions more who had to rearrange their schedules just so they can watch the fight on TV? All of these millions of people have been cheated not only of their money but of their time and, more importantly, their trust and confidence.

And now you want a rematch? Have you forgotten the greatest boxing fiasco that ever was? Besides, what question is there that has not been answered? There shouldn't have been any question in the first place because Pacquiao and Mayweather cannot be measured on the same scale. Pacquiao is a fighter who is not afraid to lose. Mayweather hates to lose and does not care if no fight happens so long as he wins. So stop it already; unless, like the fool, you want to part with your money.