Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao clarifies his September bout with Floyd Mayweather is a sanctioned professional match, not an exhibition.
MANILA: Manny Pacquiao (pic) has directly contradicted Floyd Mayweather, stating their planned September rematch is a professional boxing contest and not an exhibition.
The Philippine boxing legend issued a statement to clarify the nature of the bout following Mayweather’s comments that it would be “strictly entertainment”.
“I want to be very clear that the contract we signed is for a professional boxing match,” Pacquiao said.
He added that his intention has always been to deliver “a high-level, competitive sanctioned fight” for the fans.
The long-awaited rematch was announced by Netflix last month and is scheduled for September 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Their first fight in 2015 remains the highest-grossing clash in boxing history, generating 4.6 million pay-per-view buys.
Mayweather stunned the boxing world this week by describing the upcoming event as an exhibition where “we’re both winners”.
Pacquiao’s camp has strongly refuted this characterisation.
Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, told ESPN that Mayweather is “officially in breach of his contract”.
Mathur insisted the fight would proceed as a professional match, expecting the “original terms of the agreement to be honored”.