When Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao announced they were fighting each other in 2015, many proclaimed it one of the best matchups in boxing history. It was anything but. Despite selling a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys, the bout never lived up to the hype and ended in a decision win for Mayweather.
Flash forward three years and the undefeated champion announced the rematch few asked for.
0:43
In a video posted to Floyd Mayweather’s Instagram, Mayweather is seen talking with Manny Pacquiao about having a rematch to their much-hyped 2015 superfight.
After a lackluster first fight, Mayweather and Pacquaio might go at it again in hopes of redemption. What MMA matchup deserves similar treatment? We asked our panel — Brett Okamoto, Ariel Helwani, Greg Rosenstein, Jeff Wagenheim and Phil Murphy — for their take on the bad fight that needs another go-around.
Okamoto: Tyron Woodley vs. Rory MacDonald, UFC 174
The first fight — which took place June 2014, in MacDonald’s backyard of Vancouver — wasn’t the worst fight of all time or anything, but it was definitely a bad performance by Woodley. Arguably, the worst of his career actually. He did next to nothing offensively and lost a slow, puzzling, lopsided unanimous decision.
Woodley, of course, is undefeated since that loss. A rematch would obviously be huge, as both are now titleholders in their respective promotions. They are the consensus Nos. 1 and 2 welterweights in the world. Stylistically, this matchup has a lot of potential that never came to fruition when they met four years ago. It won’t happen any time soon, but I’d love to see these two fight again.
Helwani: Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans, UFC 145
As it was brewing, I believed Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans had the potential to be one of the biggest and best fights in UFC history. Former teammates fighting, the young phenom Jones going up against the former champ Evans, teacher vs. student … this fight had it all. Unfortunately, due to a very long, drawn-out build, it felt like the fight fizzled, as opposed to sizzled, on the way to UFC 145.
The actual fight itself was also one-sided and rather dull. I remember feeling disappointed by the whole thing when it was all over. I’ve always wished we could see that fight (build-up included) over again. It should have been much better than it ended up being.
Murphy: Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis, UFC 226
Apologies for the recency bias, but the wound is still open from that stinker between Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou at UFC 226.
Lewis’ nine knockouts top the UFC since he signed with the promotion in 2014. Ngannou entered in even more rarefied air; only Rich Franklin, Ronda Rousey and Anderson Silva opened their UFC accounts with six consecutive stoppage wins prior to “The Predator.” At the night’s outset, Lewis-Ngannou was a runaway favorite for Fight of the Night.
But there was more contact during the prefight stare-down than in the bout itself. According to FightMetric, Lewis landed 20 strikes in his unanimous decision win; Ngannou managed just 15 strikes over the 15 minutes. The match — calling it a “fight” is a stretch — never left neutral position.
Lewis blamed a back injury and Ngannou cited lasting jitters from his only career loss for their respective inactivity. Assuming those issues are resolved, a rematch should live up to the original hype. Heavyweight barnburners are tough to beat. Despite 15 minutes of visual evidence to the contrary, I’m still all-in on the potential.
Rosenstein: Ngannou vs. Lewis, UFC 226
A part of me honestly thought this fight was going to be better than Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic. The buildup was crazy, as two of the hardest hitters in MMA were set to go at it in the co-main event of UFC 226 in Las Vegas. Ngannou’s knockout of Alistair Overeem played over and over in my mind. Sitting cageside, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for action … and didn’t get any.
Both fighters appeared so worried about each other’s power they were in defensive mode the entire fight. Fans booed throughout, and I don’t blame them. When you come to see a war and end with a few non-effective kicks and punches, it’s understandable to be upset. I do think, however, if they had a chance for a rematch it would end differently. Ngannou and Lewis each publicly stated how annoyed they were at their performances and vowed to not have it happen again. I’m all in.
Wagenheim: Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo, UFC 194
Can a fight be a disappointment when it’s spectacular? That was the underlying feeling, for me, in the festive wake of Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo. We’re supposed to be discussing bad fights here, it’s true, and by no means does this one qualify as a bad fight. If anything, those 13 seconds bejeweled the legacy of “The Notorious” more dynamically than all of the rest of the time he has accumulated in the Octagon. Or even a boxing ring. Simply sublime.
But 13 seconds? We had barely settled into our seats in rapt anticipation of … of what? Wasn’t it mind-expanding to ponder whether Aldo’s leg kicks would stunt McGregor’s fluid movement or whether Conor’s advancing precision would penetrate Aldo’s fail-safe barricade? Would it be a back-and-forth two-step or would one man lead the dance? So many possibilities. Go ahead and give me a one-punch McGregor knockout, just as we saw in reality, but in my storybook do-over I’d just ask that the KO wait until this high-level duel has played out over a couple of electrifying rounds under the spotlight. Why did the lights have to be turned out so quickly?