Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch up to fans, says Showtime exec

LOS ANGELES -  A key official of major US TV broadcaster Showtime, said he liked what he saw in Manny Pacquiao when the Filipino icon beat Timothy Bradley on Saturday (Sunday in Manila). 

 

Speaking to Mitch Abramson of Ring TV.com, Showtime executive vice president Stephen Espinoza pointed out that while Pacquiao's impressive performance against Bradley positioned the boxer for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr., there should be clamor first from observers and fans. 

 

"I thought Pacquiao looked good, looked as good as he has looked in the last three or four years,” Espinoza told Abramson.

 

“He was active. He showed the power. He was quick. But really in terms of a Mayweather rematch, it’s really up to the audience, to the fans and the writers. I know from talking to Floyd — if there’s demand for a particular fight — I think he will give it strong consideration. But I think this is one where we’re not going to put the cart before the horse. If people are interested in that fight then I think they’ll make their voices heard and we’ll start working on it,” he added. 

 

Pacquiao floored Bradley twice on his way to a unanimous decision victory at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Mayweather shortly made the news after being spotted in Sin City and even reportedly talking to Bradley after the fight. 

 

Pacquiao's convincing win coupled with Mayweather presence the same night fueled rematch talks, even though both superstars are retired as of the moment. 

 

“It (rematch) is certainly more interesting now than it was a couple weeks ago,” Espinoza continued. “With that performance, what Manny showed is that he still has the ability to perform at a high level and arguably at a higher level than he did last May. 

 

Mayweather and Pacquiao figured in boxing's richest fight ever last May, with the former outpointing the latter. 

 

While the megabuck showdown was a critical failure, it was a commercial success, breaking pay-per-view records and bringing Mayweather and Pacquiao career-high purses . 

 

Espinoza, for his part, insisted the fate of a rematch lies on fans. 

 

"So whatever the reason, if people believe that the outcome or really the fight will be different this time, I think there could be some interest that is building for that fight,” he said.