Interview: Pacquiao Calls Mayweather Out – ‘He’s Afraid Of The Rematch’

Pacquiao Says Mayweather’s “Scared to Death”, Wants Jake Paul Ranked, and Hatton on a Diet

Manny Pacquiao’s back at it. In an interview with Covers.com, Pacquiao is talking about Floyd, praising Jake Paul, quoting Churchill, and dragging Ricky Hatton’s belly into the conversation for no reason whatsoever. The man’s 46, still training like a lunatic, and sounding like he’s halfway between a comeback and a midlife rant.

He’s fighting Mario Barrios on July 19, but don’t worry, he’s got enough time to take shots at everyone else in the sport too.

“Mayweather’s scared to death to fight me again”

Straight out the gate, Pacquiao reignited the corpse of the Mayweather rivalry.

“I don’t think Floyd Mayweather will fight me again, he’s scared to death to fight again, that’s what I’m thinking.”

Absolutely shameless. The man lost to Floyd a decade ago in the most overhyped snooze-fest in boxing history, and he’s still begging for a rerun like a fan outside the MGM Grand.

“It’s a huge fight [between me and Mayweather] but there’s a lot of reasons or alibis for why he didn’t make it [the rematch with me].”

“Lots of excuses, I guess.”

Excuses, or maybe Floyd just doesn’t fancy pretending it’s 2015 while chasing a gasping 46-year-old around the ring in Saudi Arabia. Can’t blame him.

Pacquiao: Jake Paul deserves a world ranking – You reading this, WBC?

Pacquiao, a Hall-of-Famer, actually said this:

“I respect Jake Paul’s passion to pursue his boxing career, he has a talent.

“He can fight so why not [give him a world ranking]?”

Why not? Maybe because it’s an insult to every fighter scraping their way through small halls and dusty gyms to earn an actual ranking. But sure, give it to the influencer with three actual boxers on his record and a camera crew for every spar.

He drags Churchill into this too – Seriously?

Apparently getting iced by Marquez and snubbed by the Olympics still stings, because now Pacquiao’s quoting British wartime speeches to justify his comeback.

“The critics are always there…

But I have always been inspired by the saying of Winston Churchill: ‘You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.’”

Mate, you’re not storming Normandy. You’re boxing a fringe contender after a decade out. Relax.

On Ricky Hatton: “He gained a lot” – Cheers for that, Manny

Why Hatton caught a stray here, no one knows. But Pacquiao went full pub-level banter:

“It’s good for Ricky Hatton [that he’s making a comeback] because when I saw him he gained a lot of weight.

“He gained a lot.”

We get it. Ricky likes a pint. You didn’t have to say it twice. Bit rich coming from a bloke pushing 50 still chasing relevance, but hey—punch down if you can’t punch up.

33 rounds in a single day? Who’s he trying to convince?

“33 rounds of sparring, doing mitts and the heavy bag… I can still do the same as when I was young.”

Cool story. But most fighters don’t brag about 33 rounds unless they’re trying to prove they still belong. Overtraining is not a personality. If you’re doing 33 rounds and still need to convince yourself, maybe it’s not about fitness—it’s about ego.

“I can still be a champion at 46” – Or you just can’t let go?

“I still have the fire in my eyes and in my heart… I’m punishing myself to the limit.”

“Even at the age of 46 I can still be a champion and that I can still fight.”

No one doubts your work ethic, but let’s be honest—this ain’t about legacy anymore. This is about pride, noise, and keeping the cameras on. You’re not chasing greatness. You’re avoiding retirement.

So what’s it really about? Floyd? Jake Paul? A Churchill quote? Or is Manny Pacquiao just another legend who can’t stand silence?

One thing’s for sure: the gloves are back on, but the filter is completely off. And the more he talks, the more you wonder—who exactly is he trying to convince?