Floyd Mayweather still has not confirmed his rematch with Manny Pacquiao, and his silence now raises grave doubts whether this fight will take place at all.
While Pacquiao and his team continue to push the idea that a second fight has been agreed, Mayweather has said nothing beyond suggesting that any return would be an exhibition and that his undefeated record is not in jeopardy.
This gap between the two sides has only widened, resulting in one version being shared publicly while the other remains absent.
Pacquiao insists the deal is done
Pacquiao has repeatedly said the contract is for a fully sanctioned professional fight, not an exhibition.
“The contract we signed is a real fight,” Pacquiao said. “It’s either a real fight or nothing.”
His team went further, maintaining that contracts had been signed and financial commitments made, and Manny Pacquiao Promotions CEO Jas Mathur provided those details in multiple interviews, including with World Boxing News.
At this stage, the message was clear – the fight had begun and it would be fought on fully professional terms.
Mayweather’s silence tells a different story
Mayweather’s position does not match this certainty.
The former five-weight world champion has not yet officially confirmed the rematch and only referred to the exhibition conditions when discussing a possible return to the professional ranks.
There has been no announcement from Mayweather Promotions, no official launch of the event, and no confirmation from any broadcaster despite reports linking Netflix to the project.
Even that element has gone silent, with no evident promotion or support to suggest that a major fight announcement is imminent.
Mathur, who spoke out during the initial rollout, has also withdrawn from public comments in recent weeks.
The famed Mayweather pattern
The situation mirrors previous instances where reports of fighting have gained popularity without ever being confirmed.
Earlier this year, a proposed exhibition featuring Mike Tyson followed a similar path, with a reported date circulating ahead of his departure, with neither man formally mentioning its status.
Mayweather has long maintained a consistent stance in situations like this.
“Nothing is confirmed unless you hear it here first,” he said throughout his career, a standard he maintained until the exhibition era.
Until confirmation comes directly from Mayweather, speculation alone will not be enough to make the fight real.
Unresolved, not imminent
Pacquiao’s position remains unchanged, and there is an expectation in his camp that the rematch will be conducted as a truly professional fight.
But without Mayweather publicly responding to these conditions, the situation remains unresolved – and increasingly questionable.
At this point the direction becomes clear.
Throughout the discussion surrounding the second meeting, only one side is actively driving the narrative, while the other has yet to take any action.
Until Floyd Mayweather says it himself, there is no fight – just one-sided noise.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
Tyson Fury is going back to the playbook behind his most destructive night. He is targeting 280 pounds when he meets Anthony Joshua on December 11 in Cardiff. He wants the crushing bulk that battered Deontay Wilder years ago. Scaling up to that number on the scales is easy. Recreating that vintage menace nearly seven years later is a totally different story.
Fury announced his intentions directly to his fans online. “Big boy 280lbs incoming,” he posted. “Not your average build. However, the love handles are used for energy.” He already promised a blistering pace out of the gate, followed by a quick stoppage.
Back in February 2020, Fury stepped on the scale at 273 pounds before stopping Wilder in round seven. That was Fury at his peak as an aggressive bruiser. He bullied Wilder backward. He draped his weight over the champion, forcing him to haul around all that mass. Wilder could never find the space needed to trigger his lethal right hand.
Every single pound had a purpose back then because Fury used his bulk masterfully. He smothered Wilder immediately after throwing punches. He disrupted every attempt to recover. He kept trapping Wilder in corners where mounting any counter was nearly impossible. It was relentless physical pressure from a guy focused on total control.
Joshua is a distinct challenge, yet the logic makes total sense. Giving Joshua breathing room allows him to set his feet to unleash heavy shots. Chasing him down can trigger panic before his offense even starts. Fury would immediately test Joshua’s nerves under fire.
The big worry is the condition of those 280 pounds. Fury reached 281 pounds for the rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, looking soft around the waist. That outing provided zero evidence that piling on weight makes him more dangerous.
To handle Joshua, Fury needs agile footwork to cut off escape routes. He needs sharp reflexes to slip incoming fire. He needs enough gas in the tank to keep pressing once the initial charge fades. If Joshua survives that opening assault, the extra pounds could become a heavy burden as the rounds accumulate.
Fury picked a blueprint with real history. Replicating the monster who conquered Wilder is the real challenge.
Canelo Alvarez returned to the super-middleweight throne with a decision victory over Christian Mbilli on Saturday, and when summarising the performance, pound-for-pound star Shakur Stevenson made his thoughts on the display extremely clear.
At 36-years-old, off the back of both the longest inactive streak of his career and a defeat last time out, Canelo entered the Riyadh ring with many fight fans doubting whether the career of the Mexican superstar was nearing the end.
However, the four-division world champion instead recaptured the WBC super-middleweight title as he handed Mbilli a first career defeat.
Canelo’s experience, ring IQ and accuracy ultimately proving to be too much for the French-Cameroonian champion as he won a unanimous decision with scores of 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110.
That performance has once again made Alvarez the man to beat in the 168lb scene, with each of his fellow world titleholders at the weight desperate to secure a lucrative unification opportunity on his mooted spring 2027 return.
Speaking shortly after witnessing the win, reigning WBO super-lightweight champion Stevenson took to X to praise the efforts of Canelo both on the night and across his career as a whole, labelling the veteran as both a ‘GOAT’ and a ‘legend’.
Canelo is a 🐐, Respect legend!! @canelo
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) November 1, 2026
“Canelo is a [GOAT]Respect legend!!! @canelo”
As far as what is next for Alvarez, it seems as though he will fight again in in either April or May for the final bout of his four-fight contract with Riyadh Season.
At present, Hamzah Sheeraz would likely be deemed as the frontrunnerif Terence Crawford refuses to comeback for the rematch.
Canelo Alvarez once again reigns as a super-middleweight world champion after defeating Christian Mbilli on Saturday, and two-division world champion Tim Bradley has offered his thoughts on the win.
Ahead of the bout, there were doubts as to whether a 36-year-old Canelo still had the hunger and desire to come out on top in a potential firefight, as Mbilli vowed to take the fight to the Mexican and spring the upset.
However, the intelligence of the four-division world champion shone through on fight night as the veteran claimed a unanimous-decision win with one of his most impressive displays in recent years.
On his YouTube channelBradley suggested that part of Canelo’s success was down to him being able to intimidate Mbilli and throw the French-Cameroonian off his game plan.
“Man that dude p***ed down his leg! He got in the ring with Canelo, he felt that presence of Canelo. You can slow a motherf***a down just with your presence! Just you being right there, like you the boogeyman.
“He has been watching Canelo tear up stuff over the years, Mbilli, and he finally got in the ring with his a** and he was just like ‘oh, yeah this is a different level, these lights is too bright!’.
“Man, he got spooked last night. Damn, Mbilli got spooked last night. All of the muscles that he has got, I am like ‘man come on, at least go for it,’ but he was scared to get countered.
“They came in with an entirely different game plan, he lost his identity last night, that is how bad that s**t was.”
Bradley then went on to declare his belief that Canelo has a lot more to give to the sport, shunning any idea that Alvarez should soon hang up the gloves.
“He has got a lot left in the tank and he showed that last night when he tamed that damn Mbilli, that was supposed to be coming and throwing all of these punches.
“That motherf***a threw all of these punches and he missed all of them damn shots!”
Canelo is understood to have one fight left on his contract with Riyadh Season but, as of right now, he looks unlikely to be able to secure his targeted opponent for that outing.
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