Speaking with his usual source at Fighthype.com, Mayweather was very complimentary about the Filipino legend after taking home a staggering nine-figure paycheck from their 2015 contest.
The fight was roundly criticized for not having enough action for the duration of the twelve rounds, something Pacquiao blamed on a shoulder injury at the time. Mayweather won a unanimous decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas but insists Pacquiao was a stern challenge for him to overcome.
“Out of all the fighters that I’ve faced throughout my career, Pacquiao is one of the best fighters,” Mayweather, told FightHype.
“His movement, I mean, he’s fast… the power comes from the legs and how he turns his shots.”
Pacquiao, 35, remains in the sport over a year on from Mayweather’s own retirement and faces Jessie Vargas in a bid to regain the world welterweight title on November 5. The ‘Pacman’ is an overwhelming favorite to win the contest, although Mayweather stopped short of giving a prediction when asked his thoughts on the encounter.
“May the best man win,” he said.
A rematch with Mayweather is at the forefront of Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach’s mind as they prepare to face Vargas, with both hoping a world title victory will be enough to entice the ‘Money’ man out of his self-imposed exile.
Pitting the two together again may not go down well with fans who forked out almost $100 dollars for the first outing, although a more affordable pay-per-view price may go some way to help a Mayweather v Pacquiao return to take place in the future.
