Jump to
Will we see a Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather rematch in Japan? That was the surprise announcement during RIZIN’s annual New Year’s Eve special event at the Saitama Super Arena.
RIZIN announces Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather rematch
Exactly one year ago, Manny Pacquiao announced that he has signed a contract with RIZIN for an exhibition boxing match under the Japanese MMA promotion. The bout never materialized in 2023, but the legendary eight-division boxing champion made another appearance in Japan as the year ended.
Former PRIDE and current RIZIN boss Nobuyiki Sakakibara invited Pacquiao in the ring and promptly brought up a fight with Floyd Mayweather “next year,” drawing audible gasps from the crowd in Saitama.
“I’m ready,” Pacquiao said, before apologizing to the Japanese audience that a planned 2023 exhibition in RIZIN didn’t pan out.
“Next year, I hope to see you here in Japan with a big fight against…” Pacquiao said, before looking over to Sakakibara to check if it’s okay to reveal the name.
“Floyd Mayweather!” Sakakibara said.
“Floyd Mayweather, yeah. I thought you didn’t want me to say that (in this announcement),” Pacquiao responded with a laugh. “I’m excited for that. Thank you.”
Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather 2: Exhibition or pro fight?
No specifics were given except for the rematch being targeted for “next year.” If their recent activity is any indication though, it will likely be another exhibition bout than an official professional boxing match. Both Hall of Fame boxers have continued to collect cheques and compete in various exhibitions since officially retiring as a professional.
Pacquiao retired in 2021 with a 62-8-2 record, before switching to exhibitions soon after. He dominated South Korean celebrity martial artists DK Yoo in December 2022, and is set to face Muay Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek in January 2024.
Mayweather, on the other hand, retired at a perfect 50-0 in 2017, and has since had seven exhibition bouts against the likes of Logan Paul and John Gotti III. He already has ties with RIZIN as well, having competed in 2018 and 2022 “exhibitions” where he KO’d Japanese stars Tenshin Nasukawa and Mikuru Asakura.
Mayweather and Pacquiao first fought in 2015. The American won a unanimous decision in what is still the best selling PPV bout in history at around 4.6 million buys. That original bout was arguably booked a couple of years too late already, but if this potential rematch happens in 2024, Pacquiao would be 45-years-old, and Mayweather 47. With their past rivalry and legendary names alone though, it would likely still excite fans and draw really well.
That being said, despite this match up being announced, it might be wise to temper your expectations and not hold your breath just yet. As noted earlier, Pacquiao’s earlier RIZIN announcement never really panned out. With the reputations RIZIN, Mayweather, and Pacquiao all have about contract negotiations, there could still be some hurdles before this big rematch is truly finalized.
Bloody Elbow offers quality coverage of major boxing main events for the MMA fan who appreciates the sweet science and likes to keep up here in the community. If you want to see more of this kind of work, please subscribe to the Bloody Elbow newsletter and learn how you can support the site.
About the author
