Reporting from LAS VEGAS — With a new, 20,000-seat arena open on the Strip, and Manny Pacquiao capable of an impressive victory Saturday that could ignite talks of a rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jr., would the unbeaten retired fighter consider a return?
“I’m not going to say Floyd won’t fight again,” said Floyd Mayweather Sr., the 49-0 fighter’s father and trainer. “[The new arena], that might [convince him], too. He might be persuaded.”
Numerous events, including a Pacquiao victory over Timothy Bradley at MGM Grand, need to happen for such a wild-card scenario to play out, but the staggering money that each fighter earned in May – nearly $400 million combined -- is an enticement.
Mayweather, 39, told Spike TV on Friday, “We don’t know what the future holds.”
Pacquiao has said if he wins election to the Philippines Senate in May he expects to retire, but he has left himself wiggle room should a major fight be in play.
“I think Timmy Bradley’s going to give Pac-man all he wants, and he might beat him,” Mayweather Sr. said.
But how could the sides deny the potential earnings from a rematch?
“There’s a lot of money, but if you’ve made $200 million in that [first] game, you’ve got enough money to live the rest of your life,” Mayweather Sr. said.
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. celebrates after defeating Manny Pacquiao for the WBC welterweight championship at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 2, 2015. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. lands a punch in the eighth round against Manny Pacquiao during their welterweight title fight on May 2, 2015. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao trade blows during their welterweight title fight on May 2, 2015. (John Locher / Associated Press)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. enjoys the moment after beating Manny Pacquiao. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Manny Pacquiao salutes the crowd after fighting 12 rounds with Floyd Mayweather on Saturday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao talk in the ring Saturday following their “Fight of the Century.” (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. enjoys himself after his win over Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. holds up the belt after defeating Manny Pacquiao for the WBC welterweight championship Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. retained his welterweight title by defeating Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. with his belt. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. celebrates after beating Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. connects with a body shot to the ribs of Manny Pacquiao in the 11th round. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Floyd Mayweather lands a punch during the sixth round against Manny Pacquiao. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Manny Pacquiao gets Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the corner during the 10th round. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, trades blows with Manny Pacquiao. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. connects with an 11th round punch on Manny Pacquiao. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Manny Pacquiao lands a punch during the sixth round against Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Manny Pacquiao fires away at Floyd Mayweather Jr. during the third round. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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FLoyd Mayweather lands a punch against Manny Pacquaio during their 2015 bout in Las Vegas. Promoter Bob Arum says Pacquiao will finish his career with four fights this year, none of them against the retired Mayweather. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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FLoyd Mayweather Jr. lands a punch to Manny Pacquaio in the fourth round Saturday in Las Vegas. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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The crowd watches the fight at MGM Grand. (Eric Jamison / Associated Press)
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Floyd Mayweather lands a right against Manny Pacquiao in their May 2, 2015, fight. (Isaac Brekken / Associated Press)
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Pacquiao takes aim. (John Locher / Associated Press)
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Mayweather in his corner. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
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Close-range fighting. (Isaac Brekken / Associated Press)
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Pacquiao ducks to avoid a Mayweather left. (FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP/Getty Images)
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Mayweather ducks. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
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Pacquiao punches Mayweather near the ropes. (Eric Jamison / Associated Press)
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The fighters get more aggressive. (John Locher / Associated Press)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao trade blows. (John Locher / Associated Press)
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Manny Pacquiao in his corner. (John Locher / Associated Press)
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The fighters in the ring in Round 1. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. throws a punch in the first round. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
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Manny Pacquiao throws a punch in the first round. (FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP/Getty Images)
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Manny Pacquiao walks toward the ring. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the ring before the fight. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
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Manny Pacquiao fans gather in L.A.’s Filipinotown. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Jamie Foxx sings the national anthem. (FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP/Getty Images)
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Leo Santa Cruz celebrates his majority decision over Jose Cayetano in a featherweight bout Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
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Leo Santa Cruz, right, throws a right at Jose Cayetano during their featherweight bout Saturday in Las Vegas. (Harry How / Getty Images)
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Leo Santa Cruz, right, defeated Jose Cayetano by unanimous decision in a 10-round featherweight fight in Las Vegas in May. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
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Leo Santa Cruz, right, throws a right at Jose Cayetano during their featherweight bout Saturday in Las Vegas. (Al Bello / Getty Images)
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Leo Santa Cruz, left, punches Jose Cayetano during their featherweight fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2, 2015. (Eric Jamison / Associated Press)
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Leo Santa Cruz, right, punches Jose Cayetano during their featherweight fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2, 2015. (Eric Jamison / Associated Press)
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Jose Cayetano, right, of Mexico, lands a right to the body of Leo Santa Cruz during their featherweight fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2, 2015. (Isaac Brekken / Associated Press)
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Leo Santa Cruz, right, trades blows with Jose Cayetano during their featherweight bout at MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2, 2015. (John Locher / Associated Press)
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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady talks with Leslie Moonves and Julie Chen before the welterweight unification championship bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night. (Harry How / Getty Images)
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Ring girls practice their routine before the first fight of the Mayweather-Pacquiao card on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Kevin Baxter / Los Angeles Times)
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Boxing fans pose for a photo in front of a Mayweather-Pacquiao poster on Saturday in the lobby of the MGM Grand. (Kevin Baxter / Los Angeles Times)
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Brad Solomon celebrates after beating Adrian R. Granado in a super-middleweight fight, which was the first on the Mayweather-Pacquiao undercard Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Vasyl Lomachenko lands a right to the face of Gamalier Rodriguez during their featherweight title fight on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. (John Locher / Associated Press)
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Vasyl Lomachenko tries to slip a punch by Gamalier Rodriguez during their featherweight title fight in Las Vegas. (John Locher / Associated Press)
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Gamalier Rodriguez gets a standing eight count from referee Robert Byrd after being knocked down by Vasyl Lomachenko during their featherweight title fight Saturday. (John Locher / Associated Press)
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Vasyl Lomachenko celebrates his ninth-round knockout victory over Gamalier Rodriguez in their featherweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Eric Jamison / Associated Press)
“If I was my son, I wouldn’t do it. I’m not going to persuade him. I want him to go out [unbeaten] … I know Rocky Marciano has that [49-0] record, but my son still has the [same] record and right now, as far as everyone’s concerned, he’s the best fighter ever. He fought the best fighters of this era.”
The richest fight in history was panned as boring because Mayweather won by unanimous decision after Pacquiao suffered a right shoulder injury in training in April 2015, and aggravated it during the bout.
Would a healthy Pacquiao have a case for a second chance?
“If it gets like that, with Pacquiao saying that, I’m going to tell you, the money has to be deep. I mean deep, deep, deep,” Mayweather Sr. said. “More than that [last fight].”
It might help to have the new, $375-million, 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena as the site. Mayweather joined Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White and others two years ago at the arena’s groundbreaking ceremony.
Mayweather Sr. said in November he didn’t want his son to wait too long if he wanted to resume a career that presumably ended in September in a lopsided victory over Andre Berto.
“Right where he’s at right now, I wouldn’t personally fight,” Mayweather Sr. said. “He’s got enough money to do whatever the hell he wants to do. What would he be fighting for?”
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