Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather: Pacquiao Ready

Manny Pacquiao vs. Chris Algieri

(Getty)

As much fun as Manny Pacquiao had Sunday crushing Chris Algieri in China to retain his WBO welterweight title belt, the bout against the overmatched American was a little too easy.

So when HBO’s Max Kellerman asked Pacquiao after the fight about taking on a more challenging opponent, Pacquiao had a clear message: Bring on Floyd Mayweather.

Speculation has been swirling for months that Pacquiao and Mayweather — the two best and most popular boxers on the planet — might finally meet in 2015, and both fighters say they want to make it happen.

In fact, the Los Angeles Times’ Lance Pugmire reported last week that CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves has been serving as a liaison between the two boxers’ camps in hopes of staging the dream fight. (CBS owns Showtime, which has a deal to carry six Mayweather bouts.)

From the Times:

Moonves, through a CBS spokesman, declined “out of respect for the privacy of the talks,” to be interviewed about his involvement in Mayweather-Pacquiao talks. So did Mayweather and Stephen Espinoza, the Showtime vice president who runs its sports division.

“We can confirm that Floyd Mayweather definitely wants the Pacquiao fight,” a Showtime spokesperson wrote to The Times in an email. “Everyone on our side — Floyd, CBS and Showtime — is advocating for the fight to happen.”

Looking for Manny Pacquiao merchandise? Check out his fan shop here.