Is Floyd chickening out?
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 01 Apr 2026
Last February, it was announced that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would face off in a rematch of their 2015 fight on Sept. 19 at The Sphere, Las Vegas. The day before, Pacquiao confided that the fight was a done deal and would be a 12-rounder but hesitated to confirm it as the agreement was Mayweather would make the announcement to media. A joint statement from the fighters and their promoters was then issued with Mayweather declaring “I already beat Manny once (and) this time will be the same result” and Pacquiao pronouncing “the fans have waited long enough----they deserve this rematch (and) I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him.”
Pacquiao’s bold prediction seemed like a foreboding and Mayweather probably got cold feet. The other day, Mayweather backtracked and threw a curve ball, denying a commitment to engage Pacquiao in an honest-to-goodness fight. Mayweather, protective of his unblemished 50-0 record, is now singing a different tune and wants to meet Pacquiao in an exhibition where nobody wins or loses. So what’s the point of a rematch? If nothing will be at stake, why pay for tickets to watch two fighters in their 40s in a sparring session? Netflix was supposed to show the fight, as originally planned, on its global network. An exhibition wouldn’t even make an impact on YouTube.
Is Mayweather chickening out? He’s 49 and his last official fight was in 2017. Pacquiao’s 47 and he nearly dethroned then-WBC welterweight king Mario Barrios last July, settling for a majority draw. No doubt, Pacquiao’s in better shape than Mayweather and if they clash in a real bout, Pacman should be the odds-on favorite. The thought of losing to Pacquiao has surely caused Mayweather sleepless nights and he wants the monkey off his back. Pacquiao’s promoters are claiming there is a signed contract for a fight, not an exhibition, and they’re threatening to go to court for damages on the breach.
Mayweather, meanwhile, is talking about exhibitions with Mike Tyson in the Congo and Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis in Athens but nothing appears to be firm. He’s added Pacquiao to his calendar of exhibitions without the Filipino icon’s approval. Pacquiao has repeatedly said he’s not interested in an exhibition with Mayweather, only an actual fight. It’s rumored that creditors are breathing down Mayweather’s neck for unpaid rent on a Manhattan apartment and unsettled jewelry bills. If Mayweather is deep in debt, it’s understandable why he’s making noise in media to create marketing value for whatever he has in mind to do. Still, he’s not risking a loss to Pacquiao and maybe, that’s the reason he’s lining up exhibitions for easy money. If ever Pacquiao and Mayweather meet in a real rematch, there are 10 things Pacman might consider to do to erase the zero on Money’s record. That’s the subject of tomorrow’s column.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
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