‘I lost a lot of respect for him after all of this,’ says Mayweather of the focus put on Pacquiao’s shoulder injury
Floyd Mayweather Jr has rescinded his offer of a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, saying he doesn’t like the way the Filipino boxer has handled his unanimous decision loss this past weekend.
Despite telling ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that he would give Pacquiao a rematch in a year after Pacquiao recovers from surgery on a torn right rotator cuff, Mayweather says he has changed his mind because of what he deems to be Pacquiao making excuses for the loss.
“Did I text Stephen A. Smith and say I will fight him again? Yeah, but I change my mind,” Mayweather says in an interview that will air in the Showtime replay of the fight this Saturday.
“At this particular time, no, because he’s a sore loser and he’s a coward… If you lost, accept the loss and say, ‘Mayweather, you were the better fighter.’”
Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 knockouts) had surgery on his right arm Wednesday afternoon U.S. time, claiming that he aggravated an injury from 2009 when he banged shoulders with a sparring partner less than a month before the fight.
Pacquiao and promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank claim that the Nevada Athletic Commission unfairly denied him anti-inflammatory shots to his shoulder on fight night.
The commission released an image of the document that showed Pacquiao’s handlers did not disclose the injury before the fight and claim that the request for the shots were made less than two hours before the fight.
“He was fast. His left hand was fast. His right hand was fast and he was throwing them both fast and strong,” said Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs)
“I’m not going to buy into the bull—- and I don’t want the public to buy into the bull—-. He lost. He knows he lost. I lost a lot of respect for him after all of this.”
Mayweather has said his final fight will take place this September, when his six-fight deal with Showtime elapses.