Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch set for Sept. 19 at the Sphere — Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and manny pacquiao are scheduled to meet in a rematch on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and the bout will be broadcast on Netflix. The announcement rekindles memories of their 2015 meeting and arrives alongside early betting lines and separate exhibition plans for both men this year.

Rematch confirmed for Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Sphere in Las Vegas

Promoters have set the rematch for Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Sphere in Las Vegas, with the bout slated to be broadcast on Netflix. The date and venue place the pair back on a major stage nearly a decade after their first fight in 2015.

Early betting markets open with Mayweather installed as the favorite

Mayweather opened as the -175 favorite at BetMGM sportsbooks while Pacquiao opened as the +125 underdog. As of Tuesday afternoon, Mayweather had moved to a -190 favorite with an implied probability of 65. 5%, and Pacquiao was listed at +140. Mayweather enters the matchup with a 50-0 professional boxing record, is currently 49 years old, and Pacquiao is 47 years old.

2015 fight: unanimous decision, 4. 6 million pay-per-view buys and muted entertainment

Their first fight in 2015 ended with Mayweather emerging victorious by an easy unanimous decision. That event set a pay-per-view record with 4. 6 million buys, though observers described the fight itself as disappointing from an entertainment perspective.

Manny Pacquiao's recent comeback fight and retirement history

manny pacquiao retired in 2021 before returning to competition to post a draw against Mario Barrios last July. That draw is the most recent competitive result listed before the rematch announcement.

Mayweather's post-retirement activity and scheduled exhibitions for both fighters

Mayweather retired in 2015 after a win against Andre Berto, then came out of retirement in August 2017 to fight Conor McGregor. Both fighters are scheduled for exhibition matches this year: Pacquiao is set to face Ruslan Provodnikov on April 18, while Mayweather appears to be heading toward an April 25 fight against Mike Tyson.

The rematch announcement ties together the fighters' pasts and present plans: a 2015 megafight with a record 4. 6 million pay-per-view buys, recent retirements and comebacks, opening odds favoring Mayweather in the early markets, and separate exhibition dates on April 18 and April 25 ahead of the September card at the Sphere in Las Vegas.