The highly anticipated rematch between boxing icons Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao has been postponed indefinitely following mounting legal and financial challenges surrounding the proposed bout.
Pacquiao’s camp confirmed the development in a statement issued in the Philippines on Friday, citing ongoing lawsuits, scheduling conflicts and financial complications involving Mayweather’s team as the reasons for the delay.
The announcement comes shortly after ESPN reported that Mayweather’s planned exhibition fight in Greece had been called off after an events company connected to the Pacquiao rematch secured a legal injunction.
The two former world champions, whose record-breaking 2015 showdown generated 4.6 million pay-per-view purchases, have exchanged conflicting claims in recent weeks over the nature of the proposed September rematch.
While Mayweather publicly stated that the contest would only be an exhibition, Pacquiao’s representatives disputed the claim, insisting the bout had been promoted differently.
According to Friday’s statement, the postponement stems from what was described as “a volatile mix of federal lawsuits, scheduling overbooks, and financial gridlock completely surrounding the Mayweather camp.”
At the centre of the dispute is an events company, CSI, which last week filed a lawsuit against Mayweather. The company is seeking to recover at least $4.65 million, alleging it paid the retired boxer for exclusive promotional rights to both the Pacquiao rematch and a separate exhibition contest against former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson that never took place.
Pacquiao’s team said the earliest the long-awaited rematch could now happen is in early 2027.
The statement added that if Mayweather and CSI resolve their contractual disagreements out of court, promoters will shift their attention to rescheduling the postponed Mayweather-Mike Tyson exhibition, with September 12 being considered as a tentative date.
Mayweather, 49, retired from professional boxing in 2017 with an unblemished 50-0 record.
He had been scheduled to face Greek kickboxing star Mike Zambidis in an exhibition bout on Saturday at the Telekon Centre inside the OAKA Olympic Complex in Athens before the event was cancelled.
The latest setback leaves fans waiting even longer for what was expected to reignite one of boxing’s most lucrative and celebrated rivalries.