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Floyd Mayweather will reportedly accept an era-defining bout with Manny Pacquiao if the contract includes a rematch clause should he suffer defeat.

Boxing fans the world over have craved to see the clash of arguably the sport's two biggest stars. In his column for the Daily Mail, Jeff Powell reports insight given to him by Freddie Roach—Pacquiao's trainer—who believes Mayweather wishes to insert something of a safety net into a potential deal, should he fall for the first time in his career.

Roach told me: 'My understanding is that Floyd is insisting on the rematch if Manny beats him, which I believe he will. That's okay with us,' And why not, given the huge amount of money which would be involved?

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Pacquiao publicly announced his intentions after his one-sided destruction of Chris Algieri on Sunday. "I want that fight (with Mayweather)," he said, per BBC Sport. "The fans deserve that fight."

The Filipino's performance only served to heighten the hype for such a bout, as Pacquaio returned to the ring with the ruthlessness of a man who is finally ready to take on the best again.

In truth, Algieri's heart kept him in the Cotai Arena bout far longer than many challengers would have managed. Pacquaio floored him six times en route to retaining his WBO welterweight title, offering a controlled explosion of well-timed and accurate punches to dissect his opponent's defence, as noted in the video below:

"It's not just his hand speed—he's a great fighter," said Algieri after the fight, per BBC Sport. "He does everything well. I was never hurt, but he did catch me with a big shot."

Pacquaio has certainly worked himself into a stretch of form since damaging losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012. Brandon Rios, Bradley and Algieri have all lost unanimous decisions to Pacquaio since he was KO'd by Marquez, putting the 35-year-old in an excellent "no lose" situation should a contest with Mayweather go ahead.



It is the American who has the unbeaten record to defend. He is the one who would be under most pressure, most likely in his spiritual Las Vegas home. With that said, another Roach quip from Powell's article highlights why Pretty Boy stands to gain plenty by stepping in the ring with Pacquiao:

As Roach says: "Floyd is afraid of losing his unbeaten record to Manny. But that’s not what defines greatness. (Muhammad) Ali lost, (Sugar Ray) Robinson lost, (Sugar Ray) Leonard lost….but they’re still all-time greats. What counts is fighting the best of your era."

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ESPN's Skip Bayless overlooked this point after Pacquiao's latest win and believes Money doesn't have the guts to step into the ring with his rejuvenated rival:

It's questionable whether either man has the knockout power to down their opposite, particularly after Pac-Man failed to put Algieri to sleep after so much time spent on the deck. A technical, well-measured fight would likely ensue. After so many years of waiting, a chess-like contest wouldn't be any less fascinating, though.

Pacquaio appears intent on accepting Mayweather's strict blood testing rules, and Powell indicated he will accept a 40-60 purse split in the American's favour. With the "obstacles" removed, it's perhaps time to consider an event which looked dead in the water when Pacquaio was sent to sleep by Marquez.

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His hunger and desire to prove himself once more has kicked the possibility back into life, and with it, opened 2015 up to be one of the sport's most exciting years in recent memory.

While the long-awaited announcement is yet to be confirmed, Manny's decision to finally call Mayweather out means there is no longer any excuse for the unbeaten champ to swerve a battle for the ages.