Floyd Mayweather says Manny Pacquiao should be able to dictate who and when he fights following a glittering career in the ring.
Mayweather, who beat Pacquiao in 2015, stated the younger generation should stop name-dropping the Filipino in the media.
It comes on the back of months of welterweight contenders issuing challenges to Pacquiao after his WBA title win last July.
Danny Garcia, Errol Spence, Terence Crawford, Amir Khan, and Mike Garcia are some of those mentioning Manny Pacquiao during interviews.
Even Keith Thurman, who lost to Pacquiao at the MGM Grand last summer, intends on securing a rematch.
Manny Pacquiao
Whoever is next to face the ‘Pacman,’ Floyd is adamant his old rival has earned the right to make his selections moving forward.
“That’s his prerogative. He can do what he wants to do,” Mayweather told fighthype.com. “It’s sad that you hear guys say, ‘I want to fight Manny Pacquiao, I want to fight Manny Pacquiao.
“But Manny Pacquiao is 41 now. Don’t chase him. You young guys chase each other. Stop chasing this old man.
“If the opportunity presents itself, go out and do what you got to do. Let Manny Pacquiao pick and choose who he wants to fight.”
A few months ago, Khan – a former training partner of Pacquiao – exclusively spoke to WBN regarding a future collision.
“Yeah, for Manny Pacquiao, it’s a long time to be out of the ring,” Khan told World Boxing News. “I’m sure he knows what he is doing.
“Manny is a great champion, a great fighter, and a friend of mine as well. Even though we tried to get a fight on, at the end of the day, it’s a business.
“But I think it’s a very long time to be out, especially at his age. At 41 or 42, your body will not recover as quickly as it normally does. Even when you are trying to get back into shape again.
“Your body is not going to get in peak shape as quickly as it once did. Even if you train as you normally do.
“It could be a long time. Is he going to come back? We don’t know now. I know he has a lot of options out there. “Who knows?”
Pacquiao vs Khan
Pacquiao vs Khan is undoubtedly a realistic proposition, but only when fans can attend boxing matches again.
COVID-19 has blocked packed crowds attending events, leaving prize fighters like Khan and Pacquiao on the shelf until things change.
At 41, Pacquiao must decide quickly which direction to take his career. A Middle Eastern showdown with Khan could be a consideration.
