5 things this weekend in boxing: Buatsi and Parker's second chance, personal Squid Games and MayPac 2?!

Don’t adjust your phone settings — I promise we haven’t time-warped back to 2015.

Surely, a decade on from Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, the boxing world has moved onto pastures new?

Well, think again, buster.

Like Andy from “Toy Story”: We may have graduated, gotten jobs and grown older — I assume that’s what happens throughout the “Toy Story” franchise? — but apparently we can’t resist the allure of opening old boxes and dusting off some of our past favorite toys.

Nostalgia is a heck of a drug, but as many of you await the expected announcement of #MayPac2, we’re trying our best to focus on the here and now.

So, let’s take a closer look at a competitive weekend of boxing action!

1. Can Joshua Buatsi finally break out?

Joshua Buatsi (19-1, 13 KOs) is reluctant to take any credit from his losing effort against Callum Smith back in February.

The 32-year-old went to war with the Liverpudlian, came out on the wrong side of a Fight of the Year contender, and to him, it’s simple: A loss is a loss.

The Croydon fighter has been passed from Matchroom to BOXXER and now to Queensberry on a whistle-stop tour of British promotional companies, with Saturday night looking like a make-or-break fight in his 21st pro outing. The man in the opposite corner, Zach Parker (26-1, 18 KOs), is just as hungry.

But a win in style can do wonders for “JB.”

In recent years we’ve seen fighters reinvent themselves more than once and end up in title-winning positions, and Buatsi’s fundamental skill base still suggests he has a big opportunity to push for 175-pound honors in the future.

Buatsi has a smart head on his shoulders, a platform to be pushed on, and dances in a division full of superstars — it’s down to him to capitalize on the current hand he’s been dealt.

2. Will Bradley Rea finally start getting his flowers?

Speaking of Smith vs. Buatsi, I sat a couple of rows away from Bradley Rea in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia that evening this past February, as the Mancunian light heavyweight enjoyed the evening’s action with his girlfriend and a couple of friends.

The 27-year-old was due to fight on Turki Alalshikh’s card that evening, but a last-minute pull out from Constantino Nagna saw his in-ring plans change.

Two months later, Rea (21-1, 10 KOs) agreed to step in on just three days’ notice to fight Daniel Blenda Dos Santos for the European light heavyweight championship, until his opponent fell ill a mere few hours before the opening bell.

This cruel run of luck has left Rea struggling for money and reportedly surviving on a British classic: Beans on toast.

He returned in June to defeat Shakan Pitters for the now-vacant European title and his first defense lands this weekend in Manchester, earning him his biggest career purse against Manchester rival Lyndon Arthur (24-3, 16 KOs).

It’s been a tough road for “The Sting,” but a win this weekend could see him making up for lost time and money in a stacked 2026.

3. Can Lenier Pero gatecrash the heavyweight scene?

In Orlando, Florida, unbeaten heavyweight southpaw Lenier Pero (12-0, 8 KOs) tops the bill on a Matchroom USA card, taking on past world cruiserweight title challenger Jordan Thompson (15-1, 12 KOs).

Pero, the older brother of fellow heavyweight prospect Dainier Pero, is viewed by many as Cuba’s brightest heavyweight hope since Luis Ortiz.

Thompson brings size and reach that could trouble Pero, but after two years out of the ring, this represents a serious test for the Mancunian on his return.

Pero, 32, heads into the bout off the back of a 10-round unanimous decision win over Detrailous Webster back in April.

Before that, he’d built a streak of five straight stoppages — a reminder of the power that’s made him one of Cuba’s most dangerous exports. Eight of his wins have come inside the distance, with five of those knockouts arriving in the very first round.

Javier Fortuna (right) fought Ryan Garcia back in 2022.

(John McCoy via Getty Images)

4. Javier Fortuna relying on experience against Rashidi Ellis

Come with me on this one…

Former IBF lightweight world champion Javier Fortuna (39-6-1, 28 KOs) returns to the ring this weekend, looking to continue an eight-run fight of alternating results.

The 36-year-old southpaw has gone win-loss-win-loss-win-loss-win-loss across his past eight outings, and will be attempting to add another win to that sequence against “Speedy” Rashidi Ellis (27-1, 12 KOs) at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut on Saturday night.

It’s not quite laden with the same danger as the Red Light, Green Light game as featured on “Squid Game,” but for the Dominican southpaw, a loss could well point him in the direction of Game Over.

Ellis has tasted defeat just once in his professional career — a hard-fought majority decision loss to Roiman Villa in 2023, and Fortuna believes his edge in experience will pay dividends in this watchable 10-rounder.

5. How will a MayPac 2 announcement land?

We’ve all seen the headlines: Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are apparently in talks to run back their 2015 “Fight of the Century” in what is no doubt a 2026 “Fight for a Paycheck.”

Their first fight smashed all financial expectations, pulling in more than 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and generating more than $500 million in revenue.

Now, reports suggest that a rematch is “almost agreed” — a sequel that could prove just as lucrative as the original.

Heck, there’s a chance that a rematch between the now 48-year-old and 46-year-old could be better — and more watchable — than that in 2015…

If it’s signed and announced, how will the reaction play out? Will people care? Have we all moved on? Or will we all fall for it again hook, line and sinker?

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