In a text message to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Mayweather said Pacquiao’s statement that they are negotiating for a possible rematch is false.
“Its totally false, I’m not fighting anymore, Mayweasther said.
For his part Pacquiao has confirmed that he is likewise retiring after his last fight scheduled for early next year but only if he wins a senate seat in next year’s Philippine senatorial election.
Bob Arum, in a recent meeting with Pacquiao in New York confirmed that Pacquiao is indeed retiring from boxing once elected to the Philippine Senate.
“I’m telling you what he told me last week at dinner in New York,” Arum said. “We talked very seriously, and he said, ‘Bob, hopefully, by the middle of May I will have been elected senator in the Philippines, and at that point I cannot engage in boxing because I need to focus on the senate and I have to be in attendance,’ he added.
With Mayweather and Pacquiao gone for good, boxing stakeholders are scrambling to find suitable replacement for these two elite fighters who kept boxing alive during their reign.
While there are young talents who are being groomed by their respective promoters to keep boxing alive for the needed revenues, only two elite fighters have what it takes to succeed Pacquiao who will soon join Mayweather in a retirement community. They are Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan and Canelo Alvarez of Mexico.
Between these two great fighters, Alvarez is expected to rule the sport for the longest time because at 25, he is the youngest fighter to become a pay-per-view (PPV) attraction having figured in a number of high PPV-grossing events including his clash with Mayweather in 2013 which produced 2.3 million buys.
Alvarez is expected to rule the welterweight or the light middleweight class in the next decade provided he keeps on winning. The young Mexican boxing star is set to face Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico in a PPV boxing event on Nov. 21 2015.
While the 25-year-old Alvarez will stay in the spotlight for the long haul, Golovkin will have a shorter time to shine as he is turning 34 in April next year.
Alvarez is a bit passive in the ring but he is far from being a boring fighter to watch in the ring compared to Mayweather. He can also make the necessary adjustments in his skills and styles as he has plenty of time to improve and keep himself on top of the game.
In contrast, Golovkin has only about a 5-year shelf life as he is nine years older than Alvarez. But Golovkin is unbeaten in his career with a very impressive knockout rating.
Golovkin’s phenomenal rise to stardom could have something to do with his enviable career record aside from his being an ex-Olympian.
Golovkin is unbeaten in 34 pro fights and what is amazing about his seamless record is the fact that he has knocked out 31 of his 34 opponents since turning pro in 2006. Read more:
At least in the next five years, Golovkin and Alvarez are expected to dominate the sport starting on the day Pacquiao retires to start a new life in politics.
