Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. ARCHIVE

The highly anticipated rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is facing fresh uncertainty, with conflicting statements raising questions about the nature of the fight. The bout, announced last month and scheduled for September 19 at The Sphere, is expected to be streamed globally on Netflix. It is being billed as a rematch of their 2015 “Fight of the Century,” which remains the richest bout in boxing history. However, recent developments suggest that key details are still unsettled. According to Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, the rematch is contractually set as a professional fight, and not an exhibition. “As of right now, the fight is still on. There is no termination of any sort, and he (Mayweather) has signed for a professional fight,” Mathur said. Mathur added that Mayweather is now “in breach of his contract” after publicly stating that the bout would only be an exhibition. “Floyd Mayweather is officially in breach of his contract. He's been in a breach since the day he went out and said what he said,” he said. Mayweather, for his part, told reporters in Las Vegas that plans are not final. “We don't know the location of the fight. The Sphere is one of the places that they talked about… This is not actually a fight. It's an exhibition,” he said. The disagreement has created confusion among fans, especially as Pacquiao has long pushed for a professional rematch, one that would put Mayweather’s unbeaten 50-0 record at risk. Further complicating matters are reports that Mayweather has lined up other bouts ahead of the rematch, including an exhibition fight against Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis in June. Mathur said these plans could also violate existing agreements. “Floyd Mayweather signed not one, not two, but three different agreements… He received money for all three agreements… and he's also taken out an advance on his purse for his fight against Pacquiao,” he said. Mayweather, who last fought professionally in 2017 against Conor McGregor, recently confirmed his return to the ring. “2026 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for me… I’m on the way to entertain,” he said in a social media post. As of now, the fight remains officially scheduled, but major questions remain: from whether it will be a professional bout or exhibition, to whether contractual issues could affect its staging. For fans, the biggest question remains unanswered: will the long-awaited rematch finally deliver the decisive showdown many have been waiting for? CAM/PGD/Expat Media
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