Mayweather Casts Doubt on Pacquiao Rematch at The Sphere

Boxing legend says venue for long-awaited fight is still undecided

Mar. 29, 2026 at 11:34am

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Floyd Mayweather has cast doubt on his previously announced rematch with Manny Pacquiao taking place at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Mayweather revealed that while The Sphere has been discussed as a potential venue, nothing has been finalized yet. The 49-year-old also confirmed the fight will be an exhibition, not a professional bout, as he had initially promoted.

Why it matters

Mayweather's comments raise questions about the status of the highly anticipated rematch, which has already been promoted and had broadcast rights purchased by Netflix. The fight would be the first boxing event held at the new Sphere venue, adding to the intrigue. Mayweather's history of over-promising and under-delivering on fights also casts doubt on whether this matchup will actually come to fruition.

The details

Mayweather stated that while The Sphere has been discussed as the location, the fight's venue has not been officially booked yet. He also clarified that the bout will be an exhibition match, not a professional fight, contradicting the initial promotion. Mayweather has three other exhibition fights supposedly scheduled before the Pacquiao rematch, including bouts with Mike Tyson and Mike Zambidis.

  • Mayweather's last professional fight was in 2017.
  • Mayweather has competed in seven exhibition bouts since his retirement, the most recent in August 2024.

The players

Floyd Mayweather

A 49-year-old former professional boxer who has announced a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, though the details remain uncertain.

Manny Pacquiao

A former professional boxer who is set to face Mayweather in a highly anticipated rematch, though the venue and format are still undecided.

The Sphere

A new entertainment venue in Las Vegas that was previously announced as the location for the Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch, though Mayweather has now cast doubt on that plan.

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What they’re saying

“As of right now, we don't know exactly where the fight is going to be at. We don't know the location of the fight. The Sphere is one of the places that they've talked about. We don't know 100 percent if it's going to be there.”

— Floyd Mayweather

What’s next

Mayweather and his team will need to finalize the location and format of the Pacquiao rematch in the coming months, as the event has already been heavily promoted.

The takeaway

Mayweather's latest comments inject uncertainty into a fight that was already facing questions about its viability, given the boxer's history of unreliable fight announcements. The potential venue change and shift to an exhibition format raise doubts about whether this long-awaited rematch will actually take place as planned.