“Better late than never” has been a description attached now to both of the Floyd Mayweather Jnr-Manny Pacquiao fights.
In the first match, Mayweather’s defensive habits and Pacquiao's injured shoulder took all the fun out of the most lucrative prizefight in history.
Now comes word, nearly 11 years after the first bout happened – which was five years after interest in the showdown peaked – that the two International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees will reconvene at the Las Vegas Sphere on September 19 on Netflix. Mayweather is turning 49 on February 24 while Pacquiao is 47.
“It’s happening because Manny looked so good in his last fight [a 2025 draw against recently deposed WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios] and because he is always working out,” Pacquiao’s longtime adviser Sean Gibbons told BoxingScene Monday, minutes after the bout was formally announced.
“The fact that Netflix wanted this … the timing is perfect. These guys have been tied together for the past 20 years, so it’s fitting. The fact that both are still capable of fighting at this high of a level, that Manny will be healthy, unlike the first fight, and that it’s a real fight – not an exhibition – makes it so unique.”
Mayweather, 50-0 (27 KOs), hasn’t fought a professional boxing match since his novelty event against then-UFC champion Conor McGregor in August 2017, and his most recent bout with a former boxing titleholder was a win over Andre Berto in September 2015.
Mayweather has fought a string of exhibitions since, including one against Logan Paul. But amid reports of Mayweather’s financial struggles and his recently filed lawsuit against Showtime and its former executive Stephen Espinoza, there’s heightened speculation that Mayweather is more willing than ever to put his cherished “0” in the loss ledger on the line.
“Both guys have been a thorn in the other’s side – in a good way – for so long, standing 1-2 in the pound-for-pound rankings for so long,” Gibbons said.
While Mayweather defeated record eight-division champion Pacquiao by scores of 118-110 and 116-112 (twice) on May 2, 2015, at MGM Grand, the highly anticipated bout was blamed for years for decreasing interest in the sport as Mayweather avoided entertaining exchanges, and Pacquiao aggravated a torn right rotator cuff in the bout and threw limited power punches.
Now, Pacquiao, 62-8-3 (39 KOs), is just seven months removed from nearly taking the belt from Barrios – who surrendered his WBC strap to Ryan Garcia this past Saturday in Las Vegas. Pacquiao has remained in shape while expecting another important bout.
As of now, Pacquiao is slated to meet former Wild Card Boxing Club stablemate Ruslan Provodnikov in an April 18 exhibition in Las Vegas, and Mayweather is due to meet Mike Tyson in an April 25 exhibition in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“With Manny at his highest level, Floyd has a tremendous chance to lose his ‘0,’” Gibbons said. “He made it to 50-0, which is tremendous. It’s going to be 50-1 after this.
“I have always said Manny’s 62-8-3 record is better than Floyd’s 50-0. Manny Pacquiao fought guys in their primes – Juan Manuel Marquez (four times), Marco Antonio Barrera (twice), Erik Morales and Tim Bradley (three times each). Floyd waited for all his guys to get old.
“He’s finally chosen wrong this time.”
Years ago, when Mayweather-Pacquiao I was first announced, those around the bout were highly confident a rematch would occur quickly. The widespread disappointment over the fight quieted calls for that.
What Netflix, Jas Mathur of Manny Pacquiao Promotions and Nicole Craig of Mayweather Promotions are aware of is that the veteran fighters’ names still resonate in an era where novelty bouts including Jake Paul and Tyson draw strong viewership.
And the cost is less – just for the price of a Netflix subscription.
“The first boxing match at the Sphere brings intrigue,” Gibbons said. “Who doesn’t want to see these guys throw down again?”
