Manny Pacquiao Confirms Mayweather Rematch Rumors

The rumors about fight negotiations have been confirmed, as Manny Pacquiao personally addressed the situation in a recent press conference for Thrilla in Manila 2, a boxing event promoted by Pacquiao in the Philippines commemorating the historical rubber match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

"Right now, we have a lot of negotiations about my next fight. There's a possible rematch with Floyd Mayweather. Also, there’s a fight with [Vasiliy] Lomachenko, and other fighters,” he told the media on Wednesday.

Pacquiao acknowledged that with multiple negotiations underway, he is waiting for the final terms to be settled before making an official announcement. However, this direct confirmation from the fighter himself provides the strongest evidence that the fight is closer than ever to becoming a reality.

When asked if he could choose his next opponent, “Pacman” answered without hesitation.

“I’d love to have a fight, a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, so I hope that we can understand each other and we can negotiate well,” he continued.

Their first encounter was a cultural phenomenon and shattered virtually every financial record in boxing. According to Dan Rafael from ESPN, figures from Showtime and HBO estimated that the fight generated 4.6 million pay-per-view buys, while the ticket sales, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, reached $72.2 million in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Arena. 

Even though Mayweather won the first fight by unanimous decision, both fighters saw a significant payday, and another attempt at securing a fortune could be motivation enough for the two legends to clash once more.

A key difference in these negotiations is the potential involvement of Netflix. The streaming service has recently made a major push into live boxing, streaming events like the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul exhibition and the Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez professional fight.

Pacquiao confirmed, “There is also a negotiation with Lomachenko for an exhibition. The Mayweather thing that we are negotiating right now is a real fight.”

Mayweather, meanwhile, has an exhibition bout against Mike Tyson tentatively scheduled for Spring 2026 and has not commented on his negotiations for a rematch with Pacquiao. 

While “Money” Mayweather has stepped in the ring after retiring for exhibition fights, the possibility of a “real fight” would also mean Mayweather could come out of retirement to return to real competition, at least one last time against Pacquiao.

While the rematch negotiations are underway, fan reaction has still been largely critical. 

Despite the critics, both fighters might be looking forward to another massive financial opportunity, as well as a chance to set their rivalry straight once and for all.