Poll: If Floyd fights again, should it be Pacquiao or McGregor?

Let’s say Floyd Mayweather fights again in 2017. A lot of people expect that he will, even though he turns 40 in February, and has always promised he would retire on his own terms, rather than the sport forcing him out due to age and decline.

There are two fights for which the rumors have again been swirling. One is a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, who returned on November 5 with a decision win over Jessie Vargas, a fight Mayweather attended in person.

The other is that much-discussed cross-sport boxing showdown with UFC superstar Conor McGregor. We have poo-pooed the idea of this fight happening several times. But it keeps getting headlines. People keep talking about it. It remains, even as a novelty, "possible."

The question I have is, which fight would you rather pay an exorbitant pay-per-view sum to see? There are pros and cons on both sides.

Mayweather vs Pacquiao II

Pros: The big thing is, it’s an actual boxing match between two real professional boxers. Pacquiao, turning 38 in December, still fights at a very high level, and can be fairly called the best welterweight in the world in Mayweather’s absence.

Cons: We’ve seen it once, and there’s not a ton of reason to believe a rematch would go any differently, unless you fully buy into Pacquiao having a shoulder injury so bad that it then did not require much attention, seemingly. The fight also left a bad taste in the public’s mouth the first time, costing $100 on pay-per-view after a half decade of hype that it couldn’t possibly have really lived up to, honestly.

Mayweather vs McGregor

Pros: As a pure spectacle, Mayweather-McGregor would, undoubtedly, be something special. Both have passionate fans and perhaps even more passionate "haters," both are legitimate stars, both talk an incredible game building a fight. In terms of novelty fights, there’s not a better idea in the boxing vs MMA multiverse in terms of making a lot of money and garnering a lot of curious attention.

Cons: Conor McGregor isn’t a professional boxer and despite the inane ramblings of Skip Bayless, would almost certainly be smoked by one of the greatest of all time. Look, Manny Pacquiao loves basketball and has played it semi-professionally. That doesn’t mean he should get a shot in the NBA. Conor’s a good boxer — for a guy who isn’t a professional boxer. Floyd Mayweather is the best professional boxer of his era.

So what’s your vote?

Again, this is all hypothetical, and a vote is just for fun. If you had to buy one of two fights, which would you rather give your money to see? Your reasoning can be whatever you need it to be. Maybe you think Pacquiao can still beat Mayweather. Maybe you’d love to see Mayweather humiliate McGregor. Maybe a million other reasons. But what’s your pick? What R U PiCkING???