Manny Pacquiao is standing firm: his September rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a fully sanctioned professional fight, not an exhibition, despite recent comments from the American that have sparked controversy.
The two boxing icons, who first faced off in the 2015 “Fight of the Century,” announced their long-awaited rematch on Feb. 23, 2026.
The fight is scheduled for Sept. 19 at The Sphere in Las Vegas, a $2.3 billion immersive venue, and will stream globally on Netflix.
Pacquiao, 47, and Mayweather, 49, have not fought each other professionally since May 2, 2015, when Mayweather secured a unanimous decision victory at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
That bout remains one of boxing’s biggest commercial events, generating 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a $72 million live gate.
Pacquiao addressed the growing dispute upon arriving in Los Angeles on April 2. “If that’s what he is feeling, he signed for a real match.
The contract we signed is for a real fight.
He has to remember that,” Pacquiao said. “I wouldn’t fight an exhibition. It’s a real fight... the contract we signed is a real fight. So it’s for sure.”
The tension escalated after Mayweather told Vegas Sports Today on March 29 that the fight was “not actually a fight” but an exhibition and that the venue had not been finalized, mentioning The Sphere as one of several possibilities.
He described the exhibition format as entertainment-focused, saying both fighters would be “winners” regardless of the outcome.
Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions and producer of the event, pushed back, confirming that Mayweather signed three separate agreements between October 2025 and January 2026, explicitly for a professional bout.
Payments were made for each contract, including an advance on Mayweather’s purse. Mathur noted the agreements contain verifiable DocuSign records and wet signatures.
“No one in the last three months has raised anything about the fight not being professional. His team has had all the contracts. He signed all the contracts,” Mathur told ESPN. He added that a site visit to The Sphere included 35-40 representatives from both camps and Netflix production partners.
Mathur said Mayweather is “officially in breach of his contract” for publicly calling the fight an exhibition and for scheduling other exhibitions, including a proposed June bout against Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis.
The contract allows a “cure period” for Mayweather to rectify the violation after receiving written notice, but Pacquiao Promotions maintains the fight remains scheduled as a professional match.
Pacquiao has long sought a rematch, citing a shoulder injury that he said limited him in the 2015 contest.
Mayweather, undefeated at 50-0 with 27 knockouts, has largely focused on exhibitions since stopping Conor McGregor in 2017. Both fighters remain icons, and the rematch carries immense commercial and historical stakes.
