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Carl Froch believes Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao 2 is “more exciting” than their first encounter, with the American hoping to avoid a “stain on his legacy”.
Their welterweight showdown in 2015 resulted in a clear unanimous decision victory for Mayweather, who largely controlled proceedings with his sharper movement and defensive nous.
It was later revealed, however, that Pacquiao had suffered a shoulder injury during his training camp, which only added to the frustration that their clash had arrived far too late.
Although it is statistically the most lucrative boxing event of all time, most believe the contest failed to live up to its billing as the ‘Fight of the Century’.
As for their rematch, which takes place at the Sphere, Las Vegas, on September 19, it is difficult to know exactly what to expect from the two Hall of Famers.
This is largely because Mayweather has not fought professionally since 2017, back when he secured a 10th-round stoppage victory over Conor McGregor.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, boxed to a draw against Mario Barrios, the then-WBC world welterweight champion, in July, proving that he is still capable of maintaining a considerable pace.
For that reason, Froch has said on his YouTube channel that Mayweather must be careful not to lose his unbeaten record – which currently stands at 50-0 (27 KOs) – or else he risks diluting his legacy.
“This fight’s probably a little bit more exciting than their first fight, because Mayweather’s still unbeaten – he still keeps himself active [in the gym] – but Manny Pacquiao has just gone 12 rounds and got a draw with Barrios.
“So Manny Pacquiao can obviously still fight a little bit. Mayweather has got to be careful because, if he gets beat, he’s lost that unbeaten record, and that would be a little stain on his legacy. He’s one of the all-time greats.”
While Mayweather is risking his legacy, to some extent, by putting his unbeaten record on the line, many believe he ultimately has enough left in the tank to defeat Pacquiao once again.
