A rematch between aging stars, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, are booked for 2026 on Netflix. There is no word if this old fashioned fight will count on the official records or be an exhibition.
A rematch no one asked for
It would be a rematch of their fight from May 2, 2015, a decade ago, which Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs) won by a 12-round unanimous decision. The scores were 116-112, 116-112 and 118-10. After the fight, Pacquiao revealed that he was fighting with an injury to his right rotator cuff, which flared up in the third or fourth round.
The event was a huge success, generating $400 million in domestic PPV revenue. Mayweather received a split of 60% of the revenue, while Pacquiao received 40%. His take of the money was estimated to be between $180 million and $210 million. Pacquiao reportedly brought in $120 million. This big payday led to Mayweather’s career slowing down as he seemed to lose ambition and only fought twice before retiring from active competition.
Dubbed ‘The Fight of the Century’ by many boxing fans in the build-up, it turned out to be a dull, disappointing bout, with Mayweather mocking, constantly moving, holding and taking no chances. In terms of dullness, it was similar to the recently heavily promoted Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford.
Money Still the motivation
Of the two, Mayweather-Pacquiao was slightly more entertaining to watch, but not for the $89.95 PPV price for standard definition and $99 for high definition. For those who remember the 2015 fight, the overloaded cable systems broke down in various parts of the US, leaving viewers with nothing to watch and wasting their money.
Mike Coppinger reports that the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight is being “explored” for Netflix next year. If the fight happens, it will be 10 years after their underperforming fight from 2015.
How Tyson’s comeback sparked this idea
Mayweather will turn 49 years old on February 24, 2026. The currently 46-year-old Pacquiao will turn 47 on December 17, 2025. What may have planted the idea in the heads of the two aging stars is 58-year-old Mike Tyson who faced Jake Paul in an exhibition bout on November 15, 2024. Tyson reportedly made $20 million.
Earlier in 2025, Pacquiao returned from a four-year retirement and fought WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a 12-round majority draw on July 19. The scores were 114-114, 115-113 for Barrios and 114-111.
Tom Galm’s editorial judgement
The Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 rematch smacks of greed between two tycoons who have returned from the Gilded Age for one last money grab. It’s a golden parachute that neither of them needs, since they’re both already shy. If it was free without a subscription, that’s one thing. That’s not what’s going to happen.
It’s a fight that makes boxing look like a joke, and it would be a shame if Netflix chose to air it on its major platform. They need to draw the line and refuse to host exhibitions or matches involving older fighters who just want to cash in on their names.
Pacquiao looked beyond poor in his controversial 12-round draw against Mario Barrios earlier this year. The judges did Manny a favor by scoring it a draw even though he didn’t deserve it.
Last updated on 27/10/2025
