So it is: Pacquiao vs. Mayweather II is on. The rematch between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao was announced early Tuesday morning, with the fight set to take place on September 20 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the two fighters are scheduled for exhibitions, with Pacquiao facing off with Ruslan Provodnikov in April and Mayweather to take on Mike Tyson in a no-doubt circus act.
The rematch, which will be the first-ever boxing match at the Sphere, will be streamed on Netflix globally. It will be produced by EverWonder Studio, Hidden Empire, and Limitless X Holdings, and promoted by Manny Pacquiao Promotions and Mayweather Promotions in partnership with CSI Sports/Fight Sports.
The weight at which the rematch will be contested, however, as well as the number of rounds, wasn’t announced.
Can PacMan Win Pacquiao vs. Mayweather II?
What is also clear is that Pacquiao vs. Mayweather II will be a professional fight, which means both PacMan and Money will have the opportunity to add to their respective records. The rematch could be particularly meaningful for Pacquiao, who will now get a second chance at dealing Mayweather his very first loss.
But can he do it?
Taking into account his concussive power and speed, anything’s possible for Pacquiao—and that includes beating Mayweather. Then again, PacMan isn’t the all-conquering destroyer he once was and couldn’t sustain an all-out attack on Mario Barrios in their fight. That means he’ll likely be picking and choosing his spots with Mayweather, too, essentially turning Pacquiao vs. Mayweather II into a tactical battle.
Unfortunately, a chess match falls right into Money Mayweather’s alley, and there’s a good chance he’ll do what he did the first time around: box and weave, get out of danger, and use precise counterpunching to win the fight on points.
Pacquiao vs. Mayweather II Was 10 Years Too Late
Interest in Pacquiao vs. Mayweather II will certainly be there simply because of name recognition and nostalgia. But it likely won’t break records the way Pacquiao vs. Mayweather did before because the first fight didn’t really live up to the hype, and this rematch came at least a decade too late—with Pacquiao already 47 and Mayweather at 49.
So, are you watching Pacquiao vs. Mayweather II to see if PacMan can beat Money? Or are you passing it up?
