Asked about Mayweather’s recent comments suggesting the September 19 bout may very well be treated as an exhibition, Pacquiao pointed back to the agreement already in place and dismissed the thought outright.
“No exhibition,” Pacquiao said to Fighthype. “It’s either an actual fight or nothing. It’s an actual fight.”
Pacquiao said the terms were already established when each side signed, leaving no room to regulate the structure of the event at this stage. The fight is scheduled for Las Vegas and has been built around a sanctioned contest fairly than a non-competitive exhibition format.
“The contract we signed is an actual fight,” Pacquiao said. “So it’s needless to say.”
He added that he expects the rematch to proceed under those original terms, despite the uncertainty created by Mayweather’s recent remarks. Pacquiao didn’t offer any alternative options if the situation changes, keeping his give attention to the agreement already in place.
“I don’t know,” Pacquiao said when asked about possible backup plans. “What I signed is an actual fight.”
Pacquiao has long pursued a second fight with Mayweather following their 2015 meeting, and indicated that his approach this time shall be different.
“I actually have improved and higher strategy in comparison with the last one,” he said.
This looks like a classic case of a fighter wanting to guard his perfect 50-0 record. Floyd is sort of 50 years old, and despite his legendary defensive skills, an expert fight carries the danger of a “1” finally appearing on his resume, especially against someone as relentless as Pacquiao.
By calling it an exhibition now, Floyd essentially creates a security net where he can receives a commission without the stakes. Manny’s team (MP Promotions) are adamant that the contract signed in February is for a sanctioned skilled bout.
Just just a few days ago (March 28), Floyd publicly backtracked during a meet-and-greet, claiming it’s an exhibition and that the venue (The Sphere) isn’t even 100% locked in.
Netflix has already marketed this as an expert event. If it shifts to an exhibition, they lose a large amount of the “historical significance” they’re using to sell the stream.
