MANILA — Boxing fans hoping to witness another showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will have to wait longer after plans for their highly publicized rematch were pushed back indefinitely because of ongoing legal and financial complications.
In a statement released Friday, Pacquiao’s camp blamed the delay on multiple issues involving the Mayweather side, including pending lawsuits, scheduling problems, and unresolved financial matters that have stalled preparations for the event.
The announcement followed reports that Mayweather’s exhibition match against Greek kickboxing star Mike Zambidis was also scrapped after a court injunction sought by an events company linked to the Pacquiao-Mayweather promotion.
The latest setback adds to months of uncertainty surrounding the proposed bout. Since the rematch was announced earlier this year, the two boxing greats have disagreed over its status, with Mayweather insisting it would only be an exhibition while Pacquiao maintained it was intended to be an official fight.
Pacquiao’s representatives said the legal and business disputes currently surrounding Mayweather’s camp make it impossible to proceed with the event as originally planned.
Central to the controversy is a lawsuit filed by events promoter CSI, which is seeking to recover at least $4.65 million it claims to have paid Mayweather in exchange for exclusive promotional rights to the Pacquiao rematch and a planned exhibition against former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
The camp said that, under the current circumstances, the earliest the Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch can realistically be staged is sometime in early 2027.
It added that if Mayweather and CSI eventually reach an out-of-court settlement, promoters are expected to prioritize rescheduling the postponed Mayweather-Tyson exhibition, with Sept. 12 being eyed as a tentative date.
Mayweather, who retired with a flawless 50-0 professional record, had been scheduled to headline an exhibition in Athens this weekend before that event was also called off.
Their first meeting in 2015, dubbed the “Fight of the Century,” became the most lucrative bout in boxing history, attracting roughly 4.6 million pay-per-view purchases and generating record-breaking revenues worldwide.
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