There’s some drama brewing in the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao rematch. And veteran boxing journalist Mike Coppinger is here to shed more light on the matter. The pair is set to clash in their rematch, nearly 11 years after their first bout on September 11, 2026, live on Netflix. Although reports had confirmed that it would be a professional fight at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Mayweather had a different opinion. 

“As of right now, we don’t know exactly where the fight is going to be at,” Mayweather told reporters on Saturday in Las Vegas. “…The Sphere is one of the places that they talked about. So, we don’t know if it’s a hundred percent going to be there. And this is not actually a fight, it’s an exhibition… It’s an exhibition, so we’re both winners.”

Notably, ‘Money’ is already slated for two exhibition bouts—one against Mike Tyson on April 25, 2026, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and another against Mike ‘Iron’ Zambidis on June 27, 2026, at the OAKA Olympic Complex in Athens. As a result, it remains unclear whether he simply confused the Manny Pacquiao fight with these commitments. However, journalist Mike Coppinger has since weighed in. 

Coppinger suggests that Mayweather’s comment may instead hint at a potential breach of contract stemming from poor advice within his team.

“[Mayweather’s comments] really puzzled me,” Coppinger said during the Inside Ring Show. “Because this wasn’t just reporting. Netflix, a multi-billion-dollar company, officially announced that this would be a real fight at the Sphere. So, earlier this morning, I spoke to Jas Mathur, who is the CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, and he said it is absolutely a real fight. 

“There’s a signed contract, Mayweather signed it, it’s in there, that it’s a real fight that’ll count on their records, and it’s going to be at the Sphere. So, I’m not sure what Floyd is talking about. I don’t know if Floyd got bad advice, but he’s contracted, so it would be a breach if not. I don’t see him turning down a major payday over this, but we’ll bear watching.”

Coppinger also revealed that if it wasn’t a professional fight, Manny Pacquiao was never interested in having an exhibition with Mayweather. That also aligns with the fact that ‘Pacman’ returned to professional boxing after nearly four years in retirement. The Filipino boxing legend faced Mario Barrios in a WBC welterweight title fight, which ended with a majority decision draw.

Meanwhile, Floyd Mayweather hasn’t fought professionally since his win over former UFC double champion Conor McGregor in 2017. And not to forget, both fighters have appeared in exhibitions since their retirement. Regardless, in the meantime, Jas Mathur has released a statement of his own on Mayweather’s comments. 

Floyd Mayweather called a ‘liar’ after comments about the Manny Pacquiao fight

Since Mayweather sent people into a storm of confusion regarding the nature of the fight and its venue, the CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, Jas Mathur, has responded on Instagram. As reported by ES News, Mathur pointed towards the official contract for the rematch and even called Mayweather a liar. 

“Men lie, women lie, executed binding agreements don’t,” Mathur’s statement read. 

It’s possible that Mayweather’s comments were just an attempt at getting the fight back in the headlines. If not, however, there’s a chance this fight can fall apart, or at the very least, there will be much drama in Mayweather’s camp as he heads into the fight later this year. In any case, Mayweather has been making headlines for more than the fight lately. 

Floyd Mayweather has been sued on multiple fronts—from unpaid jewelry to unpaid rent in New York. He has filed a lawsuit of his own against former broadcaster Showtime, alleging they conned him out of millions. He is seeking $340 million in damages. These lawsuits have also fueled rumors that the boxer has gone broke and needs the bouts desperately to pay off his bills. Still, those are just rumors. 

At the end of the day, if Floyd Mayweather is involved in a fight, there’s bound to be some drama. However, whether this drama causes the fight’s downfall is yet to be seen. What do you make of this situation?