The Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao rematch has its first piece of official third-party paperwork, with the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s events calendar now listing Manny Pacquiao Promotions at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, September 25.
The listing marks the first time a specific date for the long-rumored second meeting has appeared on an official document, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The September 25 date represents a shift from the originally floated plan of Saturday, September 19 at The Sphere, and confirms a move toward an MGM-owned venue.
A formal announcement of the rematch is not expected before Mayweather completes his exhibition against Greek kickboxing star Mike Zambidis at the OAKA Olympic Complex in Athens on June 27. The Mayweather-Pacquiao announcement is expected to follow once that commitment is fulfilled.
Mayweather’s professional comeback was unveiled four months ago, ending a nine-year hiatus. Major boxing record sites including BoxRec do not currently list a sanctioned professional bout between the two, and neither is recognized as a reigning world champion. Mayweather retired with a perfect 50-0 record, while Pacquiao remains the only fighter in history to win world titles in eight weight divisions.
September 25 would mark 11 years since their first meeting.
Floyd Mayweather has put a specific timeline on the long-awaited rematch with Manny Pacquiao, telling media in Athens on Thursday that a deal could be finalized within 48 hours as negotiations reach their final stage.
Mayweather made the comments while promoting his upcoming June 27 exhibition against Mike Zambidis at Telekom Center, Athens, at the OAKA Olympic Complex in Greece. Despite being there to discuss a different fight, the Pacquiao question dominated the conversation, and Mayweather was unusually direct about where things stand.
“Well, at this particular time, I truly believe that, I know everybody is going to want to ask questions about the Pacquiao fight. Like I said, the sport of boxing has truly changed. We have a lot of new companies, a lot of new faces, and Netflix. I truly believe that we’ll get this done. I think we’re almost at the finish line to finish the Pacquiao fight, but a lot of things has changed in the sport of boxing and eventually I think within the next 48 hours either the Pacquiao fight should be done.”
The reference to Netflix is significant given the streaming platform’s growing footprint in combat sports. Netflix has already broadcast major boxing events and is set to stream the Mayweather and Pacquiao rematch as part of its expanding live sports portfolio. Mayweather’s framing of the sport’s transformation around new companies and new faces suggests the deal’s final details are being shaped by that shifting commercial landscape rather than traditional pay-per-view structure.
Mayweather and Pacquiao fought previously on May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with Mayweather winning a unanimous decision in one of the highest-grossing pay-per-view events in boxing history. The rematch has been discussed in various forms for years through exhibition talk, public appearances, and speculation, before Netflix’s involvement gave the project the commercial foundation to become a reality.
Pacquiao most recently fought Mario Barrios to a 12-round draw for the WBC welterweight title on July 19 last year in Las Vegas. Mayweather carries his unbeaten 50-0 professional record into the fight. The rematch is expected to take place at either T-Mobile Arena or MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas after being officially moved from The Sphere following the Eagles confirming a September 19 concert at that venue.
Any remaining doubt about Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s rematch leaving The Sphere has been removed, with the Eagles confirming a concert at the venue on September 19, formally closing the door on the fight happening there.
The move was reported last week by Boxing Scene, with an industry source noting that staging the fight at The Sphere never made logical sense, given the venue’s lack of a casino connection and its high costs.
That report has now been proven correct by events. The Eagles’ announcement of their September 19 date makes the Sphere unavailable for a fight that was never a natural fit for the location to begin with.
The rematch is now expected to land at either T-Mobile Arena or MGM Grand Garden Arena, both of which carry the casino integration that promoters and gambling partners require for an event of this commercial scale. A date shift from September 19 to August 15 has also been discussed, with T-Mobile Arena open on that date.
Mayweather and Pacquiao’s original meeting on May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena generated the highest pay-per-view revenue in boxing history. Mayweather, 49, holds a 50-0 professional record and is booked for a June 27 exhibition against kickboxer Mike Zambidis in Athens before the Netflix rematch. Pacquiao, 47, is 62-8-3 and most recently fought Mario Barrios to a draw in a WBC welterweight title fight last July.
Manny Pacquiao and his team set an April 14 deadline for Floyd Mayweather to honor the terms of their signed contract for a professional rematch on September 19 at The Sphere in Las Vegas, streaming on Netflix. Speaking on DAZN’s Inside the Ring, Pacquiao made clear he believes Mayweather’s attempts to rebrand the bout as an exhibition are rooted in fear.
“I think he’s scared of losing, because that’s his leverage to go around and have exhibition matches,” Pacquiao said. “If that record will ruin, then what else that he can leverage for to go around and have exhibition matches?”
Contractual Standoff Escalates
The dispute traces back to late March, when Mayweather told reporters the fight did not have a confirmed venue and called it an exhibition. That contradicted the February announcement by Netflix, which framed the bout as a sanctioned professional rematch with Mayweather’s 50-0 record on the line.
Pacquiao said he contacted his team immediately.
“I called Jas right away. What happened? That’s not what we signed, we signed a real fight,” he said. “He’s got his event, he’s announcing this exhibition, blah, blah, blah.”
Pacquiao Promotions CEO Jas Mathur backed up his fighter with an aggressive legal posture, confirming that Mayweather had signed multiple contracts and already taken financial advances against his purse, including a loan beyond the initial deposits.
“I am by far the worst person on the planet to play chicken with,” Mathur said. “So, we’re not blinking. These are the contracts. They’re signed. He’s notarized the loan docs.”
Pacquiao Confident Fight Will Happen
Despite the standoff, Pacquiao told ESPN he remains “100% confident” the fight proceeds as planned. He pointed to the financial commitments already in place as proof neither side can walk away.
“We both signed the contract and we both got our advance on our purses, so there’s no way we’re going to cancel this fight,” Pacquiao told ESPN. “Even with our first fight, he’s a lot to deal with, but the fight happened.”
According to previous reporting on the dispute, Mayweather could face eight- or nine-figure damages if he breaches the agreement. Mathur told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the penalties are “quite substantial.”
Pacquiao, 47, returned from a four-year retirement last year, fighting then-WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios to a draw. Mayweather, 49, has not competed professionally since stopping Conor McGregor in 2017 but has remained active on the exhibition circuit. Their first meeting in 2015 generated 4.6 million pay-per-view buys, the most in boxing history.
Mathur said discussions between the two camps are ongoing and expressed optimism.
“We are 100% confident that the overall outcome from this situation will turn out positive,” Mathur told ESPN earlier this week. “Floyd has to live up to his obligations, and I think he wants this fight to happen, too.”
Manny Pacquiao confirmed Tuesday that Floyd Mayweather has formally agreed their September 19 rematch will be a professional fight, putting Mayweather’s undefeated 50-0 record at risk. The bout is scheduled to stream on Netflix at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
“The fight is on,” Pacquiao texted BoxingScene after Mayweather told reporters in late March the bout would be an exhibition. The confirmation came after Pacquiao’s camp set an end-of-business Tuesday deadline for Mayweather to clarify the fight’s status.
Contractual Dispute Resolved
According to the Pacquiao camp, Mayweather had signed multiple contracts designating the bout as a legitimate professional match and had already taken cash advances on those agreements. Jas Mathur, president of Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, told “Inside the Ring” on Monday that Mayweather faced potential repercussions from Pacquiao, Netflix and others if he failed to confirm his participation in a professional bout.
Pacquiao, 62-8-3 (39 KOs), addressed Mayweather directly in a recent interview with BoxingScene. “You need to honor your commitment,” the 47-year-old said. “This time, there’s no reason for alibis or excuses.”
Rematch 11 Years in Making
Mayweather, 50-0 (27 KOs), defeated Pacquiao by unanimous decision in their first meeting in 2015 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. That bout remains the richest prizefight in boxing history.
Pacquiao returned to professional boxing last year at age 47, fighting then-WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios to a draw. The performance revived discussions of a second showdown with the 49-year-old Mayweather.
Pacquiao has spent April promoting the event, appearing at multiple sporting events including throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium. Venue arrangements for The Sphere are still being finalized.
Mike Tyson recently put any remaining doubt to rest as he stated that his exhibition showdown with Floyd Mayweather is happening. Iron Mike also stateed that he’s grateful for every moment of it.
Speaking with Manouk Akopyan of Ring Magazine, Tyson was direct when confirming the fight’s status.
“It’s gonna happen. It’s going to happen. Thank God. I’m so grateful for it.”
Tyson was equally blunt about what fans should expect when the two legends step into the ring. He pushed back on any framing that the event is driven by personal animosity, but made clear he intends to compete seriously.
“I have no animosity. We is boxing. We’re two fighters. We’re boxing. So this is going to be a show. I’m not knocking out anybody. Nobody’s knocking me out. We’re gonna fight. We fight. It’s gonna be a nice show for the people to watch.”
When asked whether there’s anything he wouldn’t do at this stage of his career, Tyson delivered a line that summed up his competitive philosophy perfectly:
“Anything’s possible. Hey, the price is right. I fight a lion.”
For Tyson, the exhibition represents yet another chapter in a late-career arc that has kept him in the public eye well into his late 50s. His last appearance in a boxing ring was a closely watched bout against Jake Paul in late 2024.
With a confirmed date and two all-time legends involved, the April fight figures to generate significant global interest — and Tyson made clear he’s approaching it with the same open-market mentality he’s always had: willing to take on anyone, at any price, in any era.
