Boxing icons Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have officially agreed to a professional rematch, nearly eleven years after their historic first encounter.
The 48-year-old Mayweather and 47-year-old Pacquiao will step back into the ring at the state-of-the-art Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday, 19 September. The bout, set to be streamed live on Netflix, marks a significant moment for both fighters, who last met professionally in 2015.
Mayweather, who turns 49 on Tuesday, announced his return from retirement last week—his fourth such comeback. This will be his first professional contest since his tenth-round technical knockout victory over Conor McGregor in 2017.
Pacquiao, who pivoted to a political career in the Philippines after retiring in 2021, made his own return to the ring last July. He fought WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a draw, setting the stage for this monumental rematch.
Their 2015 showdown, billed as the ‘Fight of the Century,’ remains the wealthiest in boxing history, with Mayweather securing a unanimous decision victory in Las Vegas. The rematch promises to reignite that rivalry, though details regarding the number of rounds and weight class have yet to be confirmed.
Pacquiao, a 12-time world champion across eight weight divisions, expressed his eagerness for the bout. “Floyd and I gave the world what remains the biggest fight in boxing history. The fans have waited long enough. They deserve this rematch,” he said. In a pointed message to his rival, he added, “I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him.”
Mayweather, boasting an unblemished 50-0 professional record with 27 knockouts, remained characteristically confident. “I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result.”
Since his 2017 retirement, Mayweather has participated in several high-profile exhibition matches and is also scheduled to face former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson later this year. That fight will be Tyson’s first since his November defeat by social media star Jake Paul.
Pacquiao had hinted at the possibility of a rematch in October, noting that an agreement hinged on mutual understanding between the two camps.
The original 2015 megafight shattered records with 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a live gate of $72 million at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. With Netflix now on board as the broadcast partner, the September event is expected to draw a massive global audience.
Full details regarding the undercard and ticket sales are anticipated in the coming weeks.
