Floyd Mayweather Jr. has stated that he expects his highly anticipated rematch with Manny Pacquiao to be finalized “within the next 48 hours.”
Mayweather Jr. (50-0, 27 KOs) put the fight scheduled for September 19 into doubt following comments made in March that the fight was not a professional sanctioned boxing bout and that the venue was not confirmed. Mayweather vs Pacquiao II is reportedly taking place at The Sphere and is to be broadcast live on Netflix.
Mayweather Jr. was hosting a press conference yesterday at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas to officially announce an exhibition bout with kickboxer Mike Zambidis, where he addressed the rematch with Pacquiao.
“At this particular time, I truly believe that, you know, everybody is gonna want to ask questions about the Pacquiao fight,” Mayweather said. “We have a lot of new companies, a lot of new faces, and Netflix, I truly believe that we’ll get this done. I think we’re almost at the finish line to finish the Pacquiao fight. Eventually, I think within the next 48 hours, the Pacquiao fight should be done.”
The Sphere has since advertised that the Eagles will host a concert at the venue on September 19. A new venue has not been confirmed.
The undefeated American, who has not seen a professional boxing ring since he defeated Conor McGregor in 2017, has seen his name linked to bankruptcy according to multiple reports.
“Whether you write a good story or a bad story, you’re keeping me relevant,” Mayweather explained. “When you keep a guy relevant, the money still flows in. So thank you. Negative stories always go a lot further than positive stories. A lie will always go further than the truth. My whole goal is to always stay positive, continue to work hard, and continue to push the next generation to be great, teach them the way, and show them how they should move.”
Mayweather and Pacquiao first collided in 2015 following years of anticipation from boxing fans. The Filipino superstar is two years younger than Mayweather at 47 year-old. His professional career resumed last year, taking on WBC welterweight world champion Mario Barrios in a majority-decision draw. Meanwhile, Mayweather has been active on the exhibition circuit. However, an April scheduled non-sanctioned fight with former heavyweight King Mike Tyson planned for the Congo in Africa has not come to fruition.
