This can’t be serious

Believe it or not, a promotions company called Misfits Boxing is spreading the word that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will be back in the ring to do a tag team match with celebrity partners. The idea borders on the ridiculous. Fans wouldn’t pay good money to watch a circus show where neither Mayweather nor Pacquiao could be taken seriously. After all, they’re boxers with a legacy to preserve not wrestlers acting like cartoon characters.

Misfits Boxing is owned by Olajide Olatunji, known as KSI who’s an English YouTuber, rapper and occasional boxer. He has over 40 million subscribers on his main social media channel. Last year, KSI took on British rapper Swarmz and Mexican boxer Luis Alcaraz Pineda on the same night, winning both bouts by KO. A cruiserweight, KSI is cashing in on his Pied Piper status to do live gigs with boxing as a platform.

KSI is spinning the yarn that he’s joining forces with Mayweather to go up against Pacquiao and London-based Filipino TikTok influencer Salt Papi whose real name is Nathaniel Bustamante. Papi has about five million followers on TikTok with over 150 million combined views. A southpaw like Pacquiao, Papi has also used boxing as his platform to gain even more notoriety.

If the tag team match materializes, it won’t be a first for Misfits Boxing. KSI’s group recently staged a “fight” between Ice Posideon and Anthony Vargas against Pineda and BDave. KSI’s manager Mams Taylor has confirmed that the “legends” fight has been in the works for a while, insinuating that Mayweather and Pacquiao are in the loop. MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons described the tag team concept as “all nonsense” and said Mayweather wouldn’t play a game of tag with Pacquiao. Gibbons said he reposted a “breaking” Fight Club announcement of the tag team boxing match “for fun” on his knuckleheadsean Instagram account.

There are other offers on Pacquiao’s table and what seems to be most likely to happen is a six-round exhibition fight with former two-time WBA supermiddleweight champion Anthony Mundine of Australia. Like Pacquiao, Mundine is now retired. Australian promoter and matchmaker Peter Maniatis is in contact with Papua New Guinea government officials who are set to invest a tidy sum in staging the exhibition in Port Moresby. Gibbons said Maniatis is guaranteeing PNG funding for the event.

Another reported offer is for Pacquiao to take on undefeated British welterweight Conor Benn. Matchroom CEO Frank Smith called it a “massive fight” if it happens and said he’s in touch with Gibbons to work out details. “We’re hoping, we’re trying, maybe,” said Gibbons. “Lots of things need to happen first but it’s possible.” English media are speculating that Pacquiao will come out of retirement to engage Benn in a real fight, not an exhibition.  Benn, 26, has a 21-0 record, with 14 KOs and is coming off a second-round disposal of Chris Van Heerden in Manchester last April. Pacquiao, 44, hasn’t fought in a real contest since losing his super WBA welterweight crown to Yordenis Ugas in 2021 and did a six-round exhibition in Korea last December. “Manny is an all-time great and he feels like he has a lot of fight left in him and still wants to compete at the highest level,” said Gibbons, quoted by Mike Coppinger of ESPN. “This fight against Benn was presented to him by (promoter) Eddie Hearn and he agreed. Ball is in Eddie’s court. Pacquiao’s ready to go. Send the contract, Eddie.”