On Monday, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao surprised the boxing world by announcing they would rematch professionally, 11 years after their first fight.
Mayweather, 49, will officially come out of retirement against Pacquiao, 47, at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September 2019, more than a decade after the fight of the century, the highest-grossing fight in boxing history.
So why is this fight happening and what to expect? With the help of Sky Sports’ Andy Scott, we take a look at some of the key questions surrounding this unexpected rematch.
Why is Mayweather vs Pacquiao happening again?
The news surprised everyone.
Eleven years ago, Pacquiao and Mayweather faced off at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and in the years since, there has been speculation from both sides that they would meet again. However, the timing was surprising as there was not a lot of demand for a rematch.
After all, it’s happening because there’s a demand for it. There’s an audience, there’s a market, there’s a demand for people to tune into Netflix to watch the game. It would get a lot of attention worldwide and that could be the main reason it’s happening.
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. embrace in the ring at the end of their 2015 welterweight title fight (AP Photo/Isaac Brecken, File)
What is each fighter’s recent boxing activity?
Pacquiao is more active as a professional than Mayweather. His recent form had seen him draw with former world champion Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight world title in July 2025, and many observers felt Pacquiao could have qualified that night.
That was preceded by a four-year hiatus, in which he lost a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021, but he didn’t seem to have that spark or momentum back then.
Meanwhile, Mayweather’s recent form has essentially been him competing on the exhibition circuit against social media influencers like Logan Paul in 2021 and Desi in 2022.
His last professional fight was against Conor McGregor in 2017, but many saw it as a crossover spectacle.
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Let’s take a look at what’s happened since Floyd Mayweather last fought Manny Pacquiao in May 2015.
How can I become a pro instead of an exhibition fight?
There are probably sanctioning bodies around the world that would be happy to sanction this type of conflict.
Mayweather is 49 years old and Pacquiao is 47, so there are question marks over their health, age and how dangerous boxing is. Perhaps this should be an exhibition, but they found an organization to certify it as a professional match.
Are there any safety concerns?
Health concerns always arise when older fighters or former fighters continue to compete. At ages 49 and 47, Mayweather and Pacquiao are long past their peak.
But perhaps it’s not the three-minute rounds that are tough, but the training camp and sparring. Boxing is by definition a dangerous sport, and although much time is spent on improving safety measures, it is never 100% safe.
Considering both players are former world-class athletes, they should know how to take care of themselves, but they can’t eliminate all risks.
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao announce their first fight in 2015 (Kyodo News via AP Images)
Does being a professional rather than an exhibition match compromise the integrity of boxing?
My first instinctive reaction is “No, probably not, because they should match well.” I think they could probably do a little more damage if they sanctioned a match that included a YouTuber with no real boxing background.
There are broader questions beyond financial reward: why they do it and what they get out of it. But I don’t know if that necessarily undermines the integrity of boxing. I think there are many people around the world who share my feeling of “I wish I never did boxing.”
Is it likely that Mayweather’s professional return will be a one-off?
There will probably always be a list of challengers who want to fight Mayweather. He is 50-0 and has never lost. He’s a great showman, one of the best self-promoters, and there will always be people who want to be involved in that.
However, he stayed away from the professional game for a long time. I can’t imagine a world in which Mayweather is in a long-term pursuit of a world title.
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Sky Sports’ boxing pundit Andy Scott considers the pros and cons of the planned rematch between boxing greats Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Is Pacquiao your favorite this time, considering he’s been more active?
probably. But come game night, the odds are almost 50-50. Because Pacquiao was relatively impressive against Mario Barrios, but it was a winnable fight.
Mayweather has been relatively active on the exhibition circuit and enters the fight as a heavy favorite. Knowing Mayweather, I would say he won’t take any serious gambles and will take educated risks.
I think today, at 49 years old, he still believes he beat Pacquiao, who is 47 years old. Because Pacquiao was 11 years younger.
Will the winner be able to return to world title contention?
You’ll be surprised. Pacquiao probably has a better chance than Mayweather because he has two years left, but I don’t know if either of them will be in contention for a world title fight, and I don’t know if they should be.
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