The return of two boxing legends: Mayweather and Pacquiao to fight in September

[p]The bout between two of boxing's biggest names - who famously fought a blockbuster clash in 2015, and are now both in their late forties - comes days after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mayweather-floyd-jr/Cnr6xdje/"]Mayweather[/a] announced he is coming out of retirement.[/p][p]It will be broadcast live on September 19th on Netflix, as the global streaming platform increasingly moves into live sports with glitzy one-off events.[/p][embed guid="c3aeff10-38dc-4ad8-947c-8f5f34060e28" url="https://x.com/netflix/status/2026041245093491045?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"Floyd and I gave the world what remains the biggest fight in boxing history. The fans have waited long enough - they deserve this rematch,"[/b] said [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pacquiao-manny/GrgZ92pT/"]Pacquiao[/a], 47, in a joint statement.[/p][p]Mayweather beat fellow welterweight Pacquiao in their money-spinning 2015 "Fight of the Century," which generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys but largely failed to live up to the hype.[/p][p]Mayweather is believed to have earned an estimated $300 million from the unanimous points victory over the Filipino icon, which remains the most lucrative fight in history and generated more than $600 million in revenue.[/p][p]Former multi-weight world champion Mayweather retired from boxing in 2017, unbeaten in 50 bouts, though he has continued to fight in exhibitions since, including an upcoming clash this spring with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tyson-mike/Y7TtHTFD/"]Mike Tyson[/a].[/p][p]Pacquiao, also a multiple world champion, retired for a four-year period from 2021, in which he unsuccessfully ran for the Philippine presidency. He came out of retirement last year.[/p][p]Rumors of a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch have circulated for years, and speculation soared following Mayweather's announcement last week that he would return to the professional arena this year.[/p][p][b]"I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result," [/b]said Mayweather, in the statement.[/p][p][b]"I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him,"[/b] said Pacquiao.[/p][embed guid="c21a0983-46ad-4d9d-a0f1-25cea6f6ebbe" url="https://x.com/BleacherReport/status/2024991173639573832?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The clash will be the first-ever professional boxing match to take place at Sphere, a venue primarily used for concerts and films, which opened in 2023 and features an immersive 160,000-square-foot wraparound screen on its curved interior walls.[/p][p]It will be shown globally on Netflix, which boasts some 325 million subscribers.[/p][p]The streamer has recently increased its sports offerings, with a super middleweight clash between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/crawford-terence/Y5VP2335/"]Terence Crawford[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alvarez-saul/lIt283bJ/"]Saul "Canelo" Alvarez[/a] in Las Vegas last September viewed by 41 million people.[/p][p]It also aired divisive fights pitting YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul against a 58-year-old Tyson in November 2024 and against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joshua-anthony/WnlqLAvo/"]Anthony Joshua[/a] last December.[/p][p]Both were criticized for proving to be lackluster contests, but drew enormous global attention.[/p][p]Nicknamed "Money", former multi-weight world champion Mayweather was once the world's highest-paid athlete. His last professional bout took place in 2017 against UFC star Conor McGregor.[/p][p]The 48-year-old American has long been a controversial figure, often criticized for an overly defensive style, and accused by some of dodging the most dangerous opponents simply to embellish his record.[/p][p]Mayweather has also spent time in prison for one of a string of domestic violence incidents.[/p][p]Pacquaio, known at home as "The National Fist" and more broadly as "PacMan," is an eight-division world champion.[/p][p]He is beloved in the Philippines for his rags-to-riches story, having dropped out of high school at 14, selling donuts on the roadside, and working as a grocery stacker.[/p][p]Pacquaio, having already served as a Philippine senator from 2016, retired for a four-year period from 2021 in which he tried and failed to win the country's top political office.[/p][p]The diminutive southpaw came out of retirement last year. He was held to a draw by Mario Barrios, putting his professional record at 62-8-3.[/p][p][b]"As always, I dedicate this fight to my fellow Filipinos around the world and to bringing glory to the Philippines,"[/b] said Pacquiao.[/p]