Floyd Mayweather shows up to Manny Pacquiao’s fight (Video)

Floyd Mayweather was in attendance for Manny Pacquiao’s first fight since retiring, which set off rumors of a potential rematch.

Despite serving as a Senator for his country, Manny Pacquiao couldn’t shake the itch to fight. That’s why he decided to return to the ring against Jessie Vargas, and host a pay-per-view under the Top Rank banner. It was supposed to be his night, but an old nemesis decided to steal the headlines out from under him.

During the final undercard fight, Floyd Mayweather showed up to the Thomas and Mack Center with part of his entourage. As he walked past the crowd, he heard a mixture of cheers and boos:

Mayweather is an ardent boxing fan, so it’s no surprise that he would show up to an event like this. But it still raises lots of questions. Ever since beating Andre Berto last year, Mayweather has insisted he is retired, yet Pacquiao is still fighting despite being a Senator. He’s also attending a Top Rank event, despite the fact that he and Bob Arum are bitter rivals.

Hardly anyone believes that he’s really retired, since many think he wants to chase a 50-0 record and one-up Rocky Marciano. And who better to do that against than Manny Pacquiao? Some people still question the validity of the result once Pacquiao claimed to injure his shoulder. That might be part of the reason why he’s coming back — to prove that, when healthy, he’s still one of the most dangerous fighters in the world.

Next: Manny Pacquiao vs Jessie Vargas: 5 reasons to watch

Rumors of a rematch between Mayweather and Pacquiao have been swirling ever since their last encounter. But given how dull it was, public interest in it won’t be nearly as high as it was the first time around. Attending Pacquiao’s comeback fight will only add fuel to that fire. But perhaps the only reason he showed up was to support his good pal Stephen A. Smith.