Manny Pacquiao said he is “100% confident” that his Sept. 19 rematch with Floyd Mayweather at The Sphere in Las Vegas will still happen, regardless of what his opponent has said.
“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 told ESPN on Monday. “Even with our first fight, he’s a lot do deal with, but the fight happened.”
Earlier this month, Mayweather told Vegas Sports Today at a meet-and-greet at Caesars Palace that “we don’t know the location of the fight. The Sphere is one of the places that they talked about. So, we don’t know if it’s 100% going to be there. And this is not actually a fight. It’s an exhibition.”
Pacquiao said he was disappointed to hear Mayweather backtrack on the bout but wasn’t necessarily surprised given his dealings with him over the years and the hurdles it took to make the first fight.
“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?” Pacquiao told ESPN. “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.”
Manny Pacquiao Promotions CEO Jas Mathur told ESPN that Mayweather was in breach of contract with his comments and that there had been ongoing discussions. On Monday, Mathur said the two sides are “making headway” toward resolving the matter and moving forward with the fight as planned.
“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.”
In the interim, Pacquiao continues to make moves in the boxing world while waiting for his September date with Mayweather to come to fruition.
The boxing legend just signed a nine-figure deal with Team Boxing League and will become an owner of the San Diego TJs for their 2027 season. Pacquiao will have equity as he aims to push Team Boxing League to a global platform in its fourth season. He’ll have a hand in pushing global awareness of the brand with his deal adding to a growing portfolio of assets.
“Building an empire is very important and very significant to me because we can help a lot of young fighters realize their dream of becoming a world champion,” Pacquiao said. “I’m going to be active as a promoter and advise the next generation of boxers.”
Pacquiao, 47, has been steadfast in making investments in and out of boxing with his hand in everything from film and finance to tech and dietary supplements, while also taking over Mayweather’s old gym in Hollywood and rebranding it as Pacquiao Prime Boxing. Still, there’s nothing that gets him more excited than the idea of avenging the 2015 loss to Mayweather.
“I never thought I’d still be able to make history at this age in and out of the ring,” Pacquiao said. “I’ll fight Floyd Mayweather at The Sphere on Netflix where even more people can see our fight than last time. I’m more excited for the rematch than the first fight.”
