Pacquiao Promoter Counters Mayweather's Rematch Claims Amid Contract Dispute
The highly anticipated rematch between boxing legends Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao has been thrown into disarray after Mayweather cast doubt on the fight's status. However, the CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions has now issued a strong rebuttal, asserting that the bout remains scheduled and accusing Mayweather of breaching his contract.
Mayweather's Controversial Statements
Last week, Floyd Mayweather, 49, made surprising comments during a meet and greet event, claiming that the planned September fight was not actually a professional contest but rather an exhibition. He also stated that the location was not definitively set, despite previous announcements that the bout would take place at the Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19.
"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 per cent going to be there. And this is not actually a fight. It's an exhibition," Mayweather said, contradicting earlier confirmations that this would be a professional match where Mayweather would risk his unbeaten 50-0 record.
Promoter's Firm Response
Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, responded forcefully in an interview with ESPN, insisting that the fight is still on and that Mayweather has signed multiple agreements for a professional bout. "As of right now, the fight is still on. There is no termination of any sort, and he has signed for a professional fight," Mathur stated.
Mathur went further, accusing Mayweather of being "officially in breach of his contract" since making his public comments. He detailed that Mayweather signed three separate agreements on October 24, November 6, and December 14, all related to his return to professional boxing, and received payments for each.
"He's been in a breach since the day he went out and said what he said on Saturday, and he's officially in a breach as of yesterday," Mathur explained. "Floyd Mayweather signed not one, not two, but three different agreements on three different dates with two different parties that ultimately got intertwined in the month of January."
Contractual Evidence and Accusations
The promoter emphasized that there is substantial evidence supporting the contracts, including DocuSign proofs and wet signatures with device IDs and IP addresses. Mathur also revealed that Mayweather has taken an advance on his purse for the Pacquiao fight.
"No one in these last three months has brought up anything related to the venue or related to the fight not being a professional fight. His team has had all the contracts, he signed all the contracts," Mathur asserted. He suggested that Mayweather's comments might stem from fear, saying, "If he's scared of Manny and he does not want to put his record on the line in a professional boxing match, not only should he have never executed any of these agreements, but he should just come right out and say it, because Manny ain't scared."
Background of the Fighters
The rematch was announced in February, scheduled to occur 11 years after their first encounter in 2015, which Mayweather won by decision. Originally promoted as a professional Netflix bout at the Sphere in Las Vegas, the fight would see Mayweather's perfect record on the line against Pacquiao, who holds a 62-8-3 record and is the only eight-weight world champion in boxing history.
Since retiring from professional boxing in 2017 after defeating Conor McGregor, Mayweather has participated in numerous exhibition matches. In contrast, Pacquiao returned to professional boxing last summer, fighting Mario Barrios to a draw for the WBC welterweight title, following a 2021 loss to Yordenis Ugas.
Outside the ring, Pacquiao, 47, has been active in Philippine politics, serving as a senator from 2016 to 2022 and launching an unsuccessful presidential bid in 2022. The Independent has reached out to Mayweather's representatives for comment on the developing situation.
