Mayweather signed up for 'real fight', Pacquiao clarifies
MANILA, Philippines — Manny Pacquiao is having none of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s recent statements claiming their recently announced rematch will only be an exhibition fight.
The Filipino icon confirmed both he and Mayweather put in writing that they will figure in a “real fight” on September 18 in Las Vegas, as announced by streaming giant Netflix last month.
Pacquiao made sure to remind his American star of the deal he entered.
“If that what he’s feeling, but he signed a contract for a real fight,” Pacquiao told reporters in Los Angeles, as he’s in town for his son Emmanuel “Jimuel” Pacquiao Jr.’s fight with Derrick Gaites.
Mayweather shook things up over the weekend when he claimed he is facing Pacquiao in a showcase bout instead of an official one.
"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 a hundred percent going to be there. And this is not actually a fight. It's an exhibition,” he said in a report by Vegas Sports Today.
The two boxing superstars collided in 2015 in what ended up to be the richest match in the sport’s history, with Mayweather running away with a unanimous-decision victory.
Pacquiao had since been eyeing another shot at blemishing the record of Mayweather, who retired from the pro ranks unbeaten in 50 fights.
He had been insisting that if he gets to face Mayweather again, it should be in an official fight, with both their pro records on the line.
And when Netflix announced their rematch — to be held at The Sphere in Las Vegas — Pacquiao appeared to have hit the jackpot.
“Yes (it’s for sure a professional fight), the contract that we signed is a real fight. I wouldn’t fight an exhibition, it’s a real fight,” Pacquiao added.
Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, told ESPN the other day that in claiming he signed on for an exhibition bout instead, Mayweather has breached his contract with them.
Mathur even said Mayweather already took an advance payment for the fight.
Pacquiao, for his part, is urging Mayweather to fulfill his original commitment.
“That’s what he (signed up for — a real fight). That’s the contract he signed, he has to remember that,” Pacquiao said.
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