Boxing News 2015: Showtime Chief Stephen Espinoza Wants To See Mayweather-Pacquiao Rematch

Two days before Floyd Mayweather Jr. appears in what he said is the final fight in his boxing career, Showtime chief Stephen Espinoza expressed his hope for the undefeated American to reconsider his retirement from the sport and return to the squared ring to face Manny Pacquiao in the future.

Espinoza is the Executive Vice President of Showtime Boxing, the entity that holds the rights for Mayweather’s fights in the past few years. Mayweather Jr. will face Andre Berto on Saturday, the last fight in the Showtime contract.

“I would, but I'm a hardcore fan. And, you know, I'm certainly not an expert on boxing technique and strategy, but personally, I don't see any reason to think that the outcome would be any different,” Espinoza told Sports Illustrated when asked about a probable Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch. “Having said that, it's a matchup for the ages. And I would always want to see it, want to see it as many times as they would do it.”

Espinoza admitted that the demand for the fight would play a vital role in Mayweather Jr.’s decision to return. He also added that Mayweather Jr. is adamant in retiring from boxing and that the American believes that he has already proven his worth in the sport.

The Mayweather-Berto match-up will be held at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the same venue where Mayweather Jr. defeated Pacquiao last May via a 12-round unanimous decision victory.

Mayweather Jr. has been criticized in picking what appears to be an easy opponent for the final bout in his career. Mayweather is aiming to match Rocky Marciano’s undefeated record in his boxing career at 49-0 and is a 35-to-1 favorite in his Saturday bout against Berto.