Philippine boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has insisted that his scheduled September bout with Floyd Mayweather will be a professional fight, rejecting claims that it will merely be an exhibition.
The clarification comes just days after Mayweather, also a Hall of Famer, described the highly anticipated rematch as an entertainment event rather than a competitive contest.
Last month, Netflix announced the long-awaited rematch between the two boxing legends, set to take place at Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19. The fight is a sequel to their 2015 showdown, which remains the highest-grossing bout in boxing history.
However, Mayweather recently surprised fans by stating that the upcoming clash would be staged purely for entertainment.
In response, Pacquiao dismissed the claim, stressing that the agreement signed by both parties is for an official professional boxing match. He emphasized that his goal has always been to deliver a genuine, high-level contest for fans.
Pacquiao also noted that Netflix’s earlier announcement accurately reflected the terms of their deal and expressed confidence that those terms would be upheld.
Meanwhile, Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, criticized Mayweather’s remarks in an interview with ESPN, alleging that the American boxer is in breach of contract and maintaining that the fight will proceed as planned.
