Manny Pacquiao has stated that he has already signed a contract to face Floyd Mayweather and insists the bout is intended to be a professional fight, not an exhibition contest.
The 47-year-old Filipino boxing legend said he would refuse to step back into the ring with Mayweather, 49, if the event in Las Vegas is downgraded to an exhibition format.
Pacquiao and Mayweather previously announced last month that they are set to meet at The Sphere in Las Vegas this September, with the fight expected to be streamed globally via Netflix.
However, Mayweather told Vegas Sports Today that the planned bout would instead be an exhibition, and added that a venue has yet to be finalised, contradicting earlier announcements.
“If that’s what he is feeling, but he signed for a real match. The contract that we signed is for a real fight. He has to remember that,” Pacquiao said in comments to local media.
Mayweather, who retired with a perfect 50-0 record including 27 knockouts, previously defeated Pacquiao in their 2015 showdown widely dubbed the “Fight of the Century”.
That historic clash generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a live gate of US$72 million (approximately RM338 million) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions and an event producer, also insisted that all agreements signed clearly indicated a professional fight, adding that no discussions had been raised regarding a change in format.
Reuters has reportedly sought comment from Mayweather’s camp regarding the ongoing dispute over the bout’s classification.
