Mayweather vs Pacquiao Rematch Resembles WWE Booking

Going by social media, it’s fair to say that the DX vs Brothers of Destruction bout set for WWE Crown Jewel in a couple of days is not raising the pulses of the majority of fans. Sure, nostalgia is the go-to crowd pleasing ploy for Vince McMahon, but the match-up seems years too late, especially when you take into consideration the difficulties both Undertaker and Kane now have in the ring.

Of course, fans will be delighted to see Shawn Michaels make an in-ring comeback. But anyone hoping for that over the last decade envisaged a dream bout with the likes of Daniel Bryan or AJ Styles. Still few will begrudge Michaels one last payday or two, even if there is plenty of controversy surrounding WWE’s decision to go ahead with the event in Saudi Arabia.

Nostalgia matches and “one last payday” events are, of course, not limited to WWE alone, and there are certain parallels that can be drawn between what happens in the squared circle and other combat sports. None more so than the potential rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

The fight is rumoured to be taking place on 2nd December, but as we get closer to that date without an official announcement it seems more likely it will take place in the new year. Already, there has been a bit of a backlash, with some media outlets calling it the “fight nobody wants asked for”.

Do the fighters care? Not at all. Mayweather has already been bragging that it will lead to “another nine-figure payday”. There are also suggestions that Pacquiao is facing some seriously hefty tax bills and needs the payday to settle up with the IRS.

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

But for similar reasons to watching the DX vs Brothers of Destruction, or yet another Undertaker match at Wrestlemania 35, fans of boxing will, despite some protests, inevitably buy up the PPVs in huge numbers and watch the fight all over the world.

Indeed, sportsbooks have already released odds for the fight, even though a date hasn’t been set in stone. As you might expect, the unbeaten Mayweather leads at odds of 2/5 (Bet365), whereas Pacquiao has been given a decent price of 2/1 by 888sport. The draw, which some conspiracy theorists might see as a chance for the fighters to ensure a trilogy, can be found at odds of up to 25/1. If you are worried about the fight not going ahead, free bets are available for boxing betting Canada sites.

Is it fair to put this fight in the same bracket as, say, Cena vs The Rock “Once in a Lifetime”, which happened twice in a year? Perhaps. It does feel like a WWE-style booking, because although there are perhaps better fights to be made for the purists, this is a money match that will sell out an arena and hit massive buy-rates around the globe. Like Vince McMahon, Floyd Mayweather knows how to make money, even if that does come with criticism from avid boxing fans.

In the end though, you have to give fighters the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps like the hopes we have that ‘Taker will bring out one last great performance before finally putting the Deadman act to rest, we could maybe see two of the greatest boxers of the 21st century put on a show before letting their careers rest in peace.