Manny Pacquiao Hits Back at Floyd Mayweather Taunts, Tells Him to Fear God

Manny Pacquiao has brushed off a host of social media jibes from Floyd Mayweather, insisting the American should “fear God.”

The 35-year-old Filipino was responding to posts by Mayweather on Twitter and Instagram in which the American claimed Pacquiao was “broke for a payday.” But Pacquiao was unfazed by the insults, insisting he pities the undefeated champion, per Sky Sports:

I'm not affected by it. I pity him and I pray that someday he would change his ways.

He (Mayweather) should fear God. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

Mayweather took to Twitter to incite the Filipino fighter, posting pictures of Pacquiao being knocked down in some of his most recent bouts:

For Pacquiao, this war of words with Mayweather comes at a far from ideal time. Pacman—who was won 56 times and lost on five occasions during his professional career—is currently in the middle of preparations for the defence of his WBO welterweight title; he faces American challenger Chris Algieri in Macau on Nov. 22.

But as is eminently the case in boxing, there is an unwavering focus on what’s to come a little further down the line. And for a long, long time, fight fans across the globe have been desperate to see Pacquiao and Mayweather finally face off inside the squared circle.

The pair were due to meet in 2009, but quarrels over blood tests eradicated the prospect of any potential superfight taking place. Five years on, there has been little to suggest the two iconic fighters are any closer to getting it on.

But as of late, there have been a few sound bites and segments for fight fans to cling to, ones that indicate the prospect of the pair finally setting up a fight is far from a fantastical proposition.

Mayweather beat Marcos Maidana in his last outing, and in the aftermath, he insisted that if a fight with the Filipino icon was on the table, he'd do his utmost to "make it happen," per The Telegraph and Reuters. Money’s 48th professional bout is expected to take place in May, but as of yet, no opponent has been selected.

Pacquiao will be typically professional and purposeful in his preparations for the fight with Algieri, but it seems even he has been caught up in the hyperbole that seems to follow both he and Mayweather around.

He took to Twitter recently to claim Mayweather has no intentions of setting up a fight, referring to Mayweather’s testimony to the Nevada Athletic Commission, in which the American discussed controversial components on his special feature All Access:

Ultimately, there’s an unshakable impression that the ball is in the court of Mayweather when it comes to this fight. And although these latest barbs on social media will do plenty to stoke the anticipation of fight fans regarding a potential showdown, plenty of hollow words have been spoken between the pair since the cancellation of their scrap five years ago.

Time is running out for these two to put on what would be one of the most hotly anticipated boxing matches of all time. And although neither fighter is quite as impressive as he was five years ago, it’s a fight that would capture the imagination of the world and settle a longstanding score between the two finest boxers of this generation.

Mayweather has very little to prove after a glittering career. But until he makes the fight with Pacquiao a reality, he should refrain from talking trash about an opponent he’s yet to get in the ring with. If we do see these two move to get this fight on the cards in the new year, this is just a taster of what would potentially be a volatile buildup between two boxing icons.