You probably remember Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather facing off in the boxing ring. The two titans of their sport battled it out in a 2015 contest over 12 rounds ? won by Mayweather, by unanimous decision ? that was viewed by millions of people around the world and considered by many to be the ?Fight of the Century?. However, the boxing ring is not the only arena where these two rivals have squared off. They are both active on social media and lately they have been sparring on Instagram in an increasingly heated back and forth. So it?s time to check out the latest Pacquiao and Mayweather head to head ? this time on social media. Brace yourself, because this one?s about to get ugly!
1. It all starts with Pacquiao?s win over Keith Thurman
The 42-year-old Filipino legend returned to the ring on July 20, taking down the previously undefeated Keith Thurman to become the oldest welterweight fighter to win a major boxing world title. On July 22, Pacquiao celebrated on Instagram by posting some pictures from the fight and thanking his fans, friends, and family for all their support.
2. After his win, talk of a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch surfaces almost immediately
So Mayweather, 42, took to Instagram to try and score a KO against Pacquiao. In his lengthy July 23 post, the American complained about how his name is always brought up whenever Pacquiao is in the news. He even said his rival?s entire legacy is ?built off its association with my name?! Ouch!
3. Pacquiao fires back
True to form, Pacquiao doesn?t go down without a fight. In response to Mayweather?s post, Pacquiao mentioned that the American was at the fight and is actually using his name to stay relevant. Pacquiao?s 5 million followers cheered this post on, showering it in nearly 400,000 likes. Are you gonna take that, Floyd?
4. Mayweather sets the record straight
Another long post from Mayweather saw the American boxer explain in detail that he was only at the fight to supervise Pacquiao, whom he describes as ?my employee?. He then gets down into the dollars and cents of the matter to back up his claim that he ?makes more money? than Pacquiao. 5. Pacquiao responds with a withering hashtag
Much like the diminutive 1.66-metre- (5 foot, 5?-inch-) tall boxer himself, Pacquiao?s next post was short but aggressive. He asserted that Mayweather?s name has never been on any of his contracts and capped the post off with a hashtag that reads #Counterfeit money. Pacquiao isn?t messing around!
6. Pacquiao moves on to his next fight
With this Mayweather feud in the rear-view mirror, Pacquiao moved on to his next challenge: fighting for his community. In this July 24 post, the boxer-turned-politician announced he will be heading back to work as a public servant ? while also teasing the possibility of yet another return to the ring. We can?t help but wonder: will it be against Mayweather?
While the American might have won unanimously in the ring in 2015, we think this Instagram showdown is a much closer match. Regardless of your preferred boxer, it?s clear that these two men are not short of confidence and pride. So who do you think has won this social media battle royale between two of boxing?s best?
