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Philippines, 06 Jul 2026 |
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War, Chess, and Writs: Why Mayweather vs. Pacquiao II is Postponed, Not Scrapped By Dong Secuya PhilBoxing.com Mon, 06 Jul 2026  Eleven years since their unprecedented match back in 2015 labeled "Fight of the Century," it appears like boxing superstars Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao were going to finally settle their score in a streamed worldwide platform. Arranged to be a big pro fight to be aired worldwide through Netflix from Las Vegas, it seems like the match has descended into its usual limbo. The anticipated September fight has been postponed indefinitely. Nevertheless, remarks by the respective parties indicate that even though the match has been postponed due to a combination of a tricky financial deadlock coupled with legal issues involving Mayweather, it definitely hasn't been cancelled. The new plan is set to take place in 2027. The primary catalyst for the sudden freeze is a high-stakes legal battle involving Mayweather and promotional entities. Events company CSI Sports filed a major breach-of-contract lawsuit against Mayweather, alleging they paid the undefeated fighter $4.65 million in advance for exclusive promotional rights to his future bouts—specifically an upcoming exhibition against Mike Tyson and the highly anticipated professional return against Manny Pacquiao. CSI Sports claimed Mayweather breached their exclusivity agreement by pursuing a separate summer exhibition against Greek kickboxing champion Mike Zambidis in Athens. While a judge recently rejected CSI's emergency restraining order to halt the Zambidis bout, the legal shockwaves have severely disrupted Mayweather's tight multi-fight boxing schedule. Adding further strain to his camp, Mayweather is concurrently navigating unrelated civil and criminal friction in Nevada involving alleged payment issues over luxury assets, while pursuing his own nine-figure lawsuits against former broadcasting and business associates. With substantial promotional capital tied up in court, Pacquiao’s camp officially confirmed that the September date is no longer viable. Promoter adjustments indicate that if Mayweather and CSI resolve their contractual friction out of court, the promotion will immediately prioritize rescheduling the postponed Mayweather-Tyson exhibition, effectively pushing any meeting with Pacquiao entirely out of the 2026 calendar. Despite the administrative paralysis, neither fighter considers the matchup dead. In a recent interview with FightHype, Floyd Mayweather explicitly left the door open, emphasizing the stylistic allure that makes the pairing timeless even as the fighters age into their late 40s. "Manny Pacquiao’s a hell of a fighter. He’s a legend... real good twitch, speed, power, movement," Mayweather remarked. "Whereas me, I’m very, very calculated, smart, intelligent, always got a game plan. When you match those two, you always get an interesting matchup. You can either get a war or you can get guys playing chess... That's what happened when we fought." When questioned on whether their age would yield a more fan-friendly, action-heavy encounter compared to their highly tactical 2015 meeting, Mayweather noted the unpredictable nature of an event of this magnitude. "When you put an event together like a Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao, anything can happen... I'm pretty sure it could happen again. Everything is up in the air right now." For Pacquiao, the delay is a frustration but not a cancellation. The eight-division world champion remains actively training and has expressed strong confidence that the rematch will ultimately materialize. According to reports from Sports Illustrated, Pacquiao and his promotional team are actively exploring interim competitive opportunities for the tail end of this year while eyeing early 2027 as the realistic window for the Mayweather showdown. By pushing the fight to 2027, both sides gain the runway necessary to clear the complex legal and financial hurdles currently anchoring the event. For a rivalry that famously took over five years of grueling negotiations to orchestrate the first time around, a temporary postponement to 2027 is simply par for the course. The sports world will have to wait a little longer, but as long as nine-figure paydays are on the table and both icons remain eager to test each other's "war and chess" dynamics, Mayweather-Pacquiao II remains firmly on the horizon. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.  |
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