Mayweather–Pacquiao II set for Las Vegas as boxing’s biggest rivalry enters the streaming era

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are returning to the ring for a professional rematch on September 19 in Las Vegas, reopening one of the defining rivalries of modern boxing and placing it inside a very different commercial landscape from the one that framed their first meeting.

The fight will stream globally on Netflix and will be staged at Sphere, the immersive venue just off the Las Vegas Strip — the first time a boxing event has been held there. The setting alone signals how much the sport’s business model has shifted since 2015, when their original bout dominated the pay-per-view era and became the most profitable fight in history despite widespread disappointment over the action in the ring.

Both fighters are stepping back into competition well beyond the ages at which they first defined their legacies. Mayweather, who turns 49 this week, is ending a nine-year retirement from sanctioned bouts. Pacquiao, 47, resumed his career last year and is scheduled to face Ruslan Provodnikov in April as part of his comeback. No weight class or bout length has yet been announced for the rematch.

“I already fought and beat Manny once,” Mayweather said. “This time will be the same result.”

Pacquiao has framed the second meeting as a chance to rewrite the outcome.

“The fans have waited long enough – they deserve this rematch,” he said. “I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him.”

Their first fight arrived years later than fans had hoped, after prolonged negotiations in which each camp blamed the other for delays. By the time they met, many observers believed the timing favoured Mayweather, whose defence-first style neutralised Pacquiao’s offence in a clear decision victory. Pacquiao later disclosed he had fought with a shoulder injury that limited his ability to apply sustained pressure.

The rematch comes with both men occupying very different places in public life. Mayweather has maintained his 50-0 record since defeating Conor McGregor in 2017 and has spent much of his retirement in high-paying exhibition bouts against non-traditional opponents while managing a lifestyle that has included ongoing legal disputes with alleged creditors. He has also announced another exhibition, against 59-year-old Mike Tyson, though no date or venue has been confirmed.

Pacquiao moved into politics, mounting an unsuccessful bid for the Philippine presidency and later losing a Senate race. He returned to the ring in July 2025, fighting WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a majority draw in an attempt to become the oldest titleholder at 147 pounds. His professional record stands at 62-8-3 with 39 knockouts.

The distribution of the rematch may prove as significant as the contest itself. Netflix has been steadily building a live sports portfolio, previously streaming Terence Crawford’s win over Canelo Alvarez and securing Tyson Fury’s comeback bout for April. Bringing Mayweather and Pacquiao onto the platform places a rivalry that once defined the pay-per-view economy at the centre of the streaming transition.