“I never thought I lost that fight.” Manny Pacquiao’s unwavering conviction about his May 2015 clash with Floyd Mayweather was clear as he uttered those words in a 2017 interview with an Australian television show. At the time, he attributed his performance to a shoulder injury that, he claimed, had curtailed his trademark aggression. Yet, the reality remains — Mayweather’s masterful defense and precise counterpunching neutralized Manny Pacquiao from bell to bell. 

Despite that, years later, ahead of his comeback bout last month against WBA welterweight champion Mario Barrios, the Filipino boxing icon reignited the rivalry, declaring, “I don’t think Floyd Mayweather will fight me again. He’s scared to death to fight again, that’s what I’m thinking.” But is that truly the case? Veteran commentator and 2015 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Jim Lampley doesn’t seem to think so.

“I’ll be honest. I might have thought, intellectually or tactically, there goes the Mayweather fight,” Lampley said during the Broadway Joel Podcast while discussing Pacquiao’s loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth fight in December 2012. “But I had no emotional investment in the notion that Manny was going to fight Floyd Mayweather because I already knew the outcome of that fight,” Lampley added confidently. 

When the host of the show pressed Lampley further on his take, the 76-year-old, who served as the lead announcer for the fight, explained further. “There was no way in the world that Manny Pacquiao, with his energetic commitment to going forward and attacking, was going to beat Floyd Mayweather,” Lampley said. Lampley viewed Floyd Mayweather as a “great counterpuncher” and simply couldn’t see Manny Pacquiao’s style overcoming Mayweather’s defense. 

“Floyd’s skills and Manny’s skills simply matched up in such a way that there was only one outcome possible, and I knew that for a long time,” Lampley said during the podcast. Pacquiao may not have won the fight, and might not ever have even if there was a rematch, but he made a significant amount of money from the fight — something many boxers can only dream of. 

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao: The record-breaking $380 million fight

The Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather fight in May 2015 was a financial spectacle like no other, generating over $600 million in total revenue — still the highest-grossing boxing event in history. Held at the MGM Grand Arena, this ‘Fight of the Century’ shattered pay-per-view records, drawing massive global attention.

The fight made $410 million from pay-per-view sales, $72 million from gate revenue at the MGM Grand, and additional earnings from sponsorships, merchandise, and international broadcast rights. Floyd Mayweather was guaranteed $180 million, but his final payday swelled to around $250 million after his share of pay-per-view sales. 

Manny Pacquiao was guaranteed $120 million and ultimately amassed roughly $130 million, including his share of the PPV revenue, culminating in a staggering combined purse of $380 million.

The massive numbers involved in the historic fight reveal what was at stake between the two boxing legends. From Pacquiao’s comments years after the fight, it’s easy to surmise that he hasn’t gotten over the loss. However, Jim Lampley seems to think Pacquiao was never going to win the fight anyway. Do you agree with him?