In the latest update to the ongoing saga involving Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. and their prospective rematch, one of the fighters involved says there’s “no way” it gets nixed.
The bitter rivals spent five years working toward a bout that arrived too late, and ended in a damp squib — a 12-round decision for Floyd.
But with Manny’s continued presence, including a draw against Mario Barrios in a WBC welterweight world championship fight, a second bout presents Mayweather — who has remained active in the exhibition circuit — with a tantalizing comeback opponent.
The messaging surrounding the contest though has been shoddy.
Netflix sent Boxing Social a statement in February confirming a rematch — a fully-sanctionined fist-fight — to take place in September at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
But, a month later, Mayweather started walking back that claim as he said it’s not a real fight, that it’s an exhibition, and while The Sphere is in play, it is but one of several venues being explored.
This, according to MP Promotions executive Jas Mathur, put Mayweather in breach of his contract. He has a deadline of Tuesday, April 14 (today, at the time of writing) to sort it out.
Mathur told Boxing Social editor-in-chief Alan Dawson shortly after the fight was announced as official, that Pacquiao’s one ultimatum was that it was a sanctioned bout and not an exhibition. He has no intentions of taking part in an unofficial match. He wants to be the one to inflict the first L on Mayweather’s unblemished resume.
“I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him.”
— Manny Pacquiao, 2026
Pacquiao, to ESPN on Monday, seemed unfazed about the fight falling through. “We both signed the contract and we both got our advance on our purses, so there’s no way we’re going to cancel this fight,” Pacquiao said.
“Even with our first fight, he’s a lot do deal with, but the fight happened,” he added. “When I heard Mayweather say it was an exhibition, I called my team right away and asked, ‘What’s happening? What’s wrong with this guy?
“What we signed was a real fight, not an exhibition. I don’t know where he got this idea from or where his head was at, but the fight is a real fight, and it absolutely won’t be an exhibition.”
Even if the deadline passes with no public announcement, there appears to be movement behind-the-scenes, at least.
“We are 100% confident that the overall outcome from this situation will turn out positive,” Mathur told ESPN.
“We’re gaining progress and traction. Floyd has to live up to his obligations, and I think he wants this fight to happen, too.”
