02/23/26 05:28:00
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02/23 17:23 CST Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao agree to a rematch in
September at The Sphere in Las Vegas
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao agree to a rematch in September at The
Sphere in Las Vegas
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --- Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have agreed to a
rematch of their landmark 2015 bout.
Their second fight will be held Sept. 19 in Las Vegas, the boxing icons
announced Monday. The rematch, which will be streamed on Netflix, will be the
first boxing event to be held at Sphere, the immersive event venue east of the
Strip.
Mayweather, who turns 49 years old on Tuesday, announced his intention last
week to end his nine-year retirement from competitive boxing. The 47-year-old
Pacquiao ended his own four-year retirement last year, and he is scheduled to
meet Ruslan Provodnikov on April 18 in the second bout of his comeback.
Mayweather and Pacquiao didn't announce a weight class or length for their
second bout.
The two most prominent boxers of their generation will meet again 11 years
after Mayweather beat Pacquiao by decision in a fight that didn't live up to
the decade of hype preceding it. The bout's promoters claimed it was still the
most profitable fight in history, setting pay-per-view records and attracting
worldwide attention.
"I already fought and beat Manny once," Mayweather said in a statement. "This
time will be the same result."
Pacquiao later revealed he fought with a shoulder injury because he didn't want
to postpone such an important event. He was unable to apply his usual offensive
pressure to Mayweather, who employed his usual defense-first strategy while
easing to victory.
"The fans have waited long enough --- they deserve this rematch," Pacquiao
said. "I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and
always remember who gave it to him."
The fighters' first meeting happened more than a half-decade after fans first
began to clamor for an obvious matchup between two similarly-sized greats. Both
sides blamed the other for the delay at times, but Mayweather always asserted
he would fight whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted --- leading many fans to
believe Mayweather waited to accept the bout until he felt age had taken a bit
of sting out of Pacquiao's famously vicious punches.
Both fighters are now much more than a decade removed from their primes, but
Mayweather and Pacquiao remain two of the biggest names in boxing.
After Mayweather beat Conor McGregor in 2017 and retired with a 50-0 record, he
spent much of his 40s competing in lucrative boxing "exhibitions" against
YouTubers and fringe competitors while largely maintaining his lavish lifestyle
outside the ring. He is currently in legal disputes with multiple alleged
creditors over issues ranging from unpaid rent on a Manhattan apartment to
outstanding jewelry bills.
Mayweather has announced another exhibition against 59-year-old Mike Tyson this
spring, although the bout still doesn't have a location or date.
Pacquiao ran unsuccessfully for the presidency of his native Philippines and
then lost in the Philippine Senate election last May. He returned to the ring
two months after that political setback, fighting WBC welterweight champion
Mario Barrios to a majority draw while trying to become the oldest 147-pound
champion.
The rematch is the latest bout to land on Netflix as the platform continues to
scoop up top fights for its live sports programming. The streamer showcased
Terence Crawford's victory over Canelo Alvarez last year, and it will present
heavyweight champ Tyson Fury's comeback bout in April.
The Sphere venue, which opened in 2023, hosted a UFC show in 2024. UFC
President Dana White said the promotion had to pay roughly $20 million to
produce that show --- about 10 times more than a normal UFC pay-per-view event
--- because of the venue's unusual capabilities and requirements.
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AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing
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