Floyd Mayweather’s proposed rematch with Manny Pacquiao is suddenly facing new questions after Pacquiao’s camp claimed the retired boxing star already accepted advance money for the fight while now attempting to change the terms of the agreement.
According to SB Nation (via Yahoo! Sports), the bout is currently scheduled for September 19, 2026, with plans to take place at the Sphere in Las Vegas and to stream on Netflix. But Mayweather reportedly suggested during a Las Vegas meet-and-greet that the venue was not finalized and that the fight could shift from a sanctioned professional bout to an exhibition.
That caught Pacquiao’s team off guard.
“As of right now, the fight is still on. There is no termination of any sort, and he has signed for a professional fight,” Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, told ESPN. “Floyd Mayweather is officially in breach of his contract.”
According to Mathur, Mayweather signed multiple agreements confirming the rematch as a professional contest rather than an exhibition. Pacquiao’s camp says it has documentation to support that claim, including digital and physical signatures tied directly to Mayweather.
“No one in these last three months has brought up anything related to the venue or related to the fight not being a professional fight,” Mathur said. “His team has had all the contracts. He signed all the contracts. We have the DocuSign proofs as well as wet signatures with his device ID, with his IP address, with everything there.”
The most significant new detail involves money. Mathur alleged that Mayweather accepted upfront payments not only for the Pacquiao fight but also for several other upcoming appearances.
“Floyd signed three separate agreements across different dates with different parties,” Mathur said. “He received money for all of them, and he’s also taken an advance on the Pacquiao fight.”
Mathur also pointed to a planned June exhibition against Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis, claiming that another fight commitment could conflict with the Pacquiao contract.
The dispute arises during a period in which Mayweather is facing several financial and legal issues away from boxing. In recent months, Mayweather has been sued over more than $300,000 in alleged unpaid rent on a Manhattan luxury apartment, while two Miami jewelers have filed separate lawsuits claiming he owes millions for watches, chains, and other jewelry.
One jeweler alleged that Mayweather paid only $300,000 toward a $1.675 million balance.
Earlier this year, Mayweather also filed lawsuits of his own. He sued Showtime Networks and former executive Stephen Espinoza for more than $340 million, alleging he was deprived of fight earnings, and separately sued a Las Vegas supercar dealership over what he described as a fraudulent $1.2 million Maybach purchase.
