Manny Pacquiao's next fight: A Floyd Mayweather bout might actually happen

Excuse me if you've heard this one before. But, a bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather could actually happen. And it could happen in 2015.

The fight is certainly past the point where it would have been its biggest, but it's still a huge fight that would make everyone involved a lot of money. Additionally, both Mayweather and Pacquiao are experiencing significant dips in the amount of pay-per-view draws they're bringing in, which also means less money for the fighters, the promoters and the networks.

When it comes to Mayweather, money and ego are everything. If he's not able to make the same kind of money he has been for years, and the stories are about how much less of an attraction he is, maybe it motivates him to make some concessions he hasn't been willing to make in the past.

For Pacquiao's part, after the Algeiri bout, he responded to the question "Is Floyd afraid of you?" With "It's kinda like that."

An article in The Daily Mail explained Bob Arum's plans to try and make the fight happen, a $1 billion fight which would rely on a $5 pay-per-view in China, where Zou Shiming would pull in huge numbers as the regional superstar; and the fight being sold on PPV in America for $95, which is more than any fight in history. Arum seems to believe he could sell three million PPVs at $95 a piece, which might be over reaching, but they're trying to line up the money needed to pay the fighters what it would take and also make everyone involved the kind of money that a massive fight should make.

In addition, I can confirm that I've heard more legitimate chatter about movement behind the scenes in recent weeks than I have in years.

Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports tweeted something similar:

Im not saying the Pacquiao-Mayweight fight is going to happen. I will say with 100 percent certainty things are happening behind the scenes

— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) November 22, 2014

We will see what happens. We've come close on the fight in the past and it didn't happen and then it's been years of "will it?" without seeming to get any closer.

I believe, based on what I've heard and what others are saying as well, that this is as close as we've been to The Fight since late 2009 or early 2010.

Following Saturday night's win over Chris Algieri, Manny Pacquiao was asked about the Mayweather fight and did a bit inspired by his recent Foot Locker commercial where he said "He's going to fight me?! Yes! Yes!"

He then took a more serious tone before saying that he's ready and wants Mayweather "next year."

Fingers crossed.