STILL five months away from the rematch and yet the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight is beginning to heat up.
The Filipino boxing great disputed claims made by Mayweather that their Sept. 19 bout is going to be merely an exhibition match.
READ Approaching 50, Pacquiao, Mayweather face off in Netflix-staged rematch
“The contract we signed is [for] a real fight,” said Pacquiao, 47, upon arriving in Los Angeles, California late Wednesday night.
“If that’s what he feels... But he signed [a contract for] a real fight,” stressed the Hall of Famer, who with wife Jinkee will watch the second pro fight of son Jimuel against Darrick Gates on Saturday (Manila time) at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.
Pacquiao’s remarks came in the wake of statements made by Mayweather a few days ago saying that his rematch with the Filipino ring superstar is going to be merely an exhibition match.
“This is not actually a fight, it’s an exhibition. We’re going to do it again and hopefully, entertain the people,” said Mayweather in Las Vegas last Saturday.
“It’s an exhibition, so we’re both winners.”
But Pacquiao was quick to refute Mayweather's words, adding it was clear what the contract they signed for.
"That's what he signed. He has to remember that," said boxing's only eight-division world champion.
Not lost on Pacquiao too, is the seeming strategy of Mayweather to make it appear as an exhibition fight in order for the former Philippine senator to prepare lightly for the bout.
"Yes, it could be a strategy. Maybe he thinks I'm going to take him lightly," he added. "But the contract we signed is a real fight."
Besides, an exhibition match is a no-no for the Pacman.
"I wouldn't fight an exhibition," he said.
Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KOs) last fought in July of 2025, losing by a majority draw to Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight crown.
In contrast, Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) hasn't fight competitively since scoring a 10th round stoppage of UFC superstar Conner McGregor in 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pacquiao and Mayweather fought in the richest bout in boxing history in 2015, with the American scoring a unanimous decision to unify the WBC, WBO, and WBA welterweight titles.
The highly-anticipated showdown however, failed to live up to the hype and expectations of boxing fans.
Here is Pacquiao's full statement on the matter:
"I wish to clear up any misinformation regarding my upcoming bout against Floyd Mayweather.
From the beginning, my intention has been to give the fans what they truly want to see. A high-level, competitive sanctioned fight. I want to be very clear that the contract we signed is for a professional boxing match. This is not an exhibition; it is a real fight.
We are proud to partner with Netflix, a global platform that recognizes the magnitude of this event. Their announcement reflected the exact terms of our agreement. My team and I remain fully committed to the conditions of that contract and we are preparing for a professional-grade battle.
I am working hard now and started my gym training and I look forward to stepping back into the ring to prove that the fire is still there. Nothing has changed on our end and we expect the original terms of the agreement to be honored."
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