Last year, Manny Pacquiao showed no ring rust as he took Mario Barrios to a draw for the WBC welterweight title. Since then, fans have waited for the Filipino legend to show that same magic in the ring once again. He was scheduled to face Ruslan Provodnikov in a 10-round exhibition bout as his comeback fight. However, that showdown has now been delayed.

According to reports, the boxing legend’s exhibition clash with Provodnikov, originally set for April 18, has been moved to June after a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. was announced for September 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

“OK, so I’m being told that the organizers of the Pacquiao-Provodnikov fight/exhibition are moving off the April 18 date in Las Vegas, and are now planning to move that event to June… #boxing,” boxing journalist Steven Kim posted on X.

At first glance, shifting Pacquiao’s exhibition might seem odd. But looking at the bigger picture, it makes sense because Mayweather is also scheduled to face kickboxing icon Mike Zambidis, who has 157 kickboxing wins, on June 27 in Athens, Greece, at the OAKA Arena in an exhibition bout, as a lead-up to his rematch with Pacquiao.

So, to give both fighters enough time to train and recover before their eventual clash, organizers likely decided to align the timelines. However, this could push Mayweather’s other anticipated bout with Mike Tyson on April 25 to the backseat.

That said, Pacquiao’s matchup with Provodnikov has been in the works for over a decade. The pair once trained together under Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Gym. Back in 2014, the Russian even pushed for a fight, but plans fell through after he lost to Chris Algieri in June that year.

Now that Manny Pacquiao is set to make a comeback after taking Mario Barrios to a competitive majority draw, it won’t be a stretch to say all eyes will be on his marquee bout against Floyd Mayweather, and his former opponent has shared his verdict.  

Manny Pacquiao’s former opponent shares thoughts on the Floyd Mayweather match-up 

Out of ‘Pac-Man’s recent opponents, he defeated Keith Thurman in 2019 for the WBA welterweight title. The fight ended in a razor-close split decision victory for Manny Pacquiao, and they never faced each other again. So, as the Filipino prepares for a massive rematch, his former opponent remains doubtful whether Pacquiao will look the same against Floyd Mayweather Jr. as he did against Mario Barrios.

“I think the story of [Mayweather-Pacquiao 2] is really the same story as always: Is today the day Floyd Mayweather loses in the ring?” Thurman told Fight Hype. “I think that’s a big selling point that certain people are going to want to see, but I didn’t see the same Manny Pacquiao [that Thurman fought] against Mario Barrios,” he added.

The former WBA champion raises a fair point, as fans also aren’t thrilled for the rematch to live up to its hype. The reason for this is that when Pacquiao and Mayweather first fought in 2015, they shattered records as both legends were in their prime. Now, as they prepare to collide again at the Sphere, that may not be the case, as both are older and no longer at their peak in terms of skill.

That said, it is still possible that even in their later years, the two maestros could deliver a memorable performance and prove everyone wrong. But can they? Let us know in the comments section below.