Pacquiao is insisting the long-discussed sequel is real, and not just another made-for-streaming spectacle. According to people around the Filipino star, Mayweather has already signed multiple agreements treating the contest as an official professional fight and has received advances tied to those deals.
Jas Mathur, president of Pacquiao’s promotional company MP Promotions, said Monday on the show “Inside the Ring” that Mayweather needs to formally confirm his participation in a pro bout by the end of Tuesday or face potential fallout from Pacquiao’s side, Netflix and other parties connected to the event.
In comments to BoxingScene, Pacquiao urged Mayweather to stop dragging the situation out. He said Mayweather needs to keep his promise and added that there should be no excuses this time.
Mayweather, now 49, beat Pacquiao by unanimous decision in their first meeting in 2015 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a fight that remains the richest event in boxing history. But this version carries a very different kind of pressure. If it is sanctioned as a professional bout, Mayweather’s undefeated record would again be at stake — and that is the clearest reason this distinction matters.
Pacquiao, 47, returned to the pro ring last year and fought then-WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios to a draw, reviving serious talk of another meeting with Mayweather. For Pacquiao, this is about more than revenge. It is a chance to rewrite the ending of the defining commercial fight of his era and prove he can still compete at the highest level in a sport that rarely forgives age.
There is also real business significance here for American boxing fans. A sanctioned Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch would land somewhere between nostalgia event and blockbuster curiosity, especially with Netflix involved and The Sphere offering a stage built for spectacle. Pacquiao has spent April promoting the matchup at major sports events, including a ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium in New York.
Last week, Pacquiao said a fight of this magnitude would benefit him because of how hard he worked to earn another championship-level opportunity against Mayweather. He also said he will enter the ring healthy this time, unlike their 2015 bout, when he fought with an injured right shoulder.
Now the focus shifts to whether Mayweather publicly commits — because if he does, boxing gets one of the year’s biggest events, and if he doesn’t, the fallout could start immediately.