Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather set for 'carnival' rematch in Las Vegas
manny pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will meet in a rematch in Las Vegas on 19 September that Netflix will stream live, a bout many insiders and commentators are already calling a "carnival. " The fighters’ ages and the platform behind the event have shaped expectations before a punch is thrown.
Fight date, place and stakes
Floyd Mayweather, 49, and Manny Pacquiao, 47, are scheduled to fight in Las Vegas on 19 September, a rematch of their 2015 meeting. Mayweather won that previous encounter in 2015 on points. Both fighters built up the rivalry on Monday ahead of a bout that will be streamed live globally on Netflix and is expected to pay the pair tens of millions of dollars.
Manny Pacquiao’s message and Mayweather’s reply
manny pacquiao said: "Floyd and I gave the world what remains the biggest fight in boxing history. The fans have waited long enough – they deserve this rematch, and it will be even bigger now that it will be streamed live globally on Netflix. I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him. As always, I dedicate this fight to my fellow Filipinos around the world and to bringing glory to the Philippines. "
Mayweather was succinct in his response: "I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result. "
Why critics call it a 'carnival'
Steve Bunce, a 5 Live Boxing expert, called the matchup "a carnival" on 5 Live Breakfast and argued it is not a fight boxing fans have been clamouring for. Bunce said: "It's not the first carnival fight on Netflix. We've had Mike Tyson against Jake Paul. We've had Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua. " He added: "We're so far down the freak fight road that this one doesn't actually raise any alarms bells. It'll just be two men, way past their best in a legitimate fight that is nothing more than an ego-driven sparring session. This circus just gets deeper and deeper and deeper. "
Money, legacy and the business model
Irish boxer Mick Conlan warned money is likely the main driver: "They are two of the greatest of their generation but they are very old and must need money or this fight wouldn't be happening, " he said to Sport Northern Ireland. Observers note the pairing sells as an anything-can-happen event even as others call that premise hollow: "This is the sell, an anything can happen event where anything is definitely not going to happen. "
Pacquiao remains a national hero in the Philippines, and Mayweather built a lucrative career on both boxing excellence and a willingness to play the villain — factors that help explain the commercial pull despite widespread doubts about the sporting quality of a rematch between fighters past their peaks.
How the model evolved and Netflix’s role
Netflix has made a play for one-off, high-impact fights that may burn bright but have limited shelf life, turning such events into a platform trademark. The streaming service invested in Jake Paul v Mike Tyson in 2024, which attracted 108 million live global viewers and became the most-streamed sporting event in history. Netflix has also shown NFL games on Christmas Day and provided live coverage of climber Alex Honnold scaling a Taipei skyscraper last month — signalling a broader push into live spectacle beyond traditional sport.
Mayweather’s role in popularising the format
Mayweather helped pioneer commercial mismatches on the big stage, notably taking on UFC star Conor McGregor in 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena in a contest McGregor approached as a novice. Mayweather carried McGregor through ten rounds before bringing an end to the contest, a lucrative but competitively debated encounter often described as a glorified exhibition. The model of high-profile exhibition bouts has older precedents: Muhammad Ali fought Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki in 1976 in front of 14, 00 in Tokyo, and exhibitions were once confined to private luxury settings where the wealthy paid massive fees to watch.
A separate boxing headline in the same coverage read 'White humiliated Aspinall' - Hearn warns Benn after exit.
The rematch is scheduled for 19 September in Las Vegas and will be streamed live on Netflix; that date remains the next confirmed milestone on the fighters' brief public timetable.
