(Esther Lin/ Premier Boxing Champions)
“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…
2026-02-24 00:59:35
