Besides the possible retirement of Oscar De La Hoya one of the other questions on the minds of boxing enthusiasts is whether or not Floyd Mayweather will return from his retirement. The undefeated former pound for pound champion left the sport on a high note, winning Fighter of the Year after besting both Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton in 2007.

The Reasons for Floyd Mayweather's Retirement

Mayweather's retirement drew much skepticism, not just for whether or not it would last but for the true reasons behind it. Some felt that Mayweather was merely biding his time, in Sugar Ray Leonard-esque fashion, to keep the rest of us guessing and anticipating his return. Others felt that Mayweather, a boxer since he could stand up on his own two feet, was tired of the sport and was completely secure with his legacy and accomplishments within it.

Still, many boxing fans felt that Mayweather was avoiding showdowns with some of the larger fighters in the welterweight division, fighters he would have had to have faced eventually if he was active. Fighters like Antonio Margarito and Paul Williams. Mayweather was also accused of avoiding Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley, despite the fact that at one point or another, Mayweather made offers to fight both of these men.

Who Would Floyd Mayweather Come out of Retirement to Fight?

If Floyd Mayweather were to return from his retirement to compete once again he would come back to an altered boxing landscape. The man seen as his career defining opponent, Miguel Cotto, lost his undefeated record in painful fashion to Antonio Margarito. Meanwhile, a new pound for pound champion emerged, dominating fighters in crowd pleasing fashion.

That man is Manny Pacquiao, and he bested Oscar De La Hoya in a far more destructive and enjoyable manner than Mayweather did with his ho-hum unanimous decision. A fight with Manny Pacquiao would be the logical choice for Mayweather, not only for financial reasons, but based on the match-up itself. The two most recent pound for pound champions squaring off, one a tremendously skilled defensive tactician and boxer, the other an offensive, come forward and brawl dynamo.

The match certainly sells it itself, and Mayweather's chances of success in the bout would be high. Manny Pacquiao has been out-boxed and contained by smaller and less skilled men than Floyd Mayweather. However, Pacquiao has both muscled up and improved his tactics since his last official loss (most observers felt Juan Manuel Marquez deserved the decision in their second match) and would have a speed advantage.

Also in Manny Pacquiao's favor would be the ring rust that Mayweather could possibly have after being out of the ring for such an extended time. Pacquiao would certainly be able to keep Mayweather out of his comfort zone in the early going. The question would be whether or not he would be able to maintain that, or if Mayweather would calmly figure him out and begin dissecting him, as he has done in the past against the likes of Zab Judah, Ricky Hatton and many others.

So will Floyd Mayweather stay Retired?

Mayweather has remained firm in his stance that he is indeed retired and the retirement is permanent. However, there have been rumors in a variety of outlets that Mayweather is already back into training and is simply biding his time to pick his return opponenet. Besides Manny Pacquiao, there would be the winner of the Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto rematch, or Shane Mosley if he were to beat the odds in his upcoming match against Margarito.

For our sakes, let's hope that Mayweather does return from his retirement. A Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao battle would make for a great night of boxing, and there is still unfinished business in the welterweight division that could turn Mayweather from a generational great to an all-time great.

This article by Jake Emen was also published on Associated Content.