There’s a certain mythology that follows Manny Pacquiao—one built not just on titles, but on improbable ascent. Emerging from boxing’s lower-weight divisions to a place atop eight separate weight classes—a feat no fighter in history has matched—Pacquiao’s story reads like folklore etched in sweat and sacrifice. A global icon, yes, but Pacquiao is also something rarer: a figure whose legacy stretches beyond the ropes. Renowned for his tenure as a Philippine senator and his humanitarian work, the 47-year-old, who recently founded Manny Pacquiao Promotions, is shaping the next generation of fighters and entrepreneurs alike.
Even after stepping away from the ring and retiring after his 2021 loss to Yordenis Ugás in a bout for the WBA (Super) Welterweight title, Pacquiao has continued to defy expectations. His 2025 return against Mario Barrios—a significantly younger champion—ended in a draw that many observers argued tilted in Pacquiao’s favor, a testament to his competitiveness at the highest level. It’s the kind of performance that reinforces what his résumé already screams: wins over legends, wars across eras, and a style that never aged so much as it evolved.
Now, Pacquiao is once again chasing something unfinished. His long-anticipated rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.—the defining rival of his era—looms as both spectacle and reckoning. Their first meeting in 2015, a tactical Mayweather victory in one of the most lucrative bouts in boxing history, has lingered as a stubborn footnote in Pacquiao’s otherwise untouchable résumé. It’s a loss he has never quite let go.
“I’m so excited for that,” Pacquiao says of the rematch currently scheduled to broadcast on September 19 on Netflix. “We both signed the agreement. We both signed the contract, and we both received an advance for that fight. So there’s no reason that this fight will not happen, by God’s grace,” Pacquiao says, his tone equal parts faith and certainty. The pugilist gets even more pointed during other moments in the conversation, taunting Mayweather Jr. while alluding to the boxer’s alleged financial struggles amid mounting debt. “He has no way out of that agreement, or else he will pay bunches of millions of dollars.”
The urgency is echoed by Manny Pacquiao Promotions CEO Jas Mathur, a producer of the event and a former member of Mayweather’s camp, who frames the bout as inevitable. “ He needs to step in the ring now, and he needs to come and fight. He had the dedication to sign all the contracts and get that money, right?” Mathur scoffs. “It’s a real fight, and it’s contracted for a real fight. That’s why he’s got to step in the ring. He can’t go further in the negative than he already is.”
According to Mathur, Pacquiao is fully capable of defeating Mayweather Jr.; however, he acknowledges Floyd’s status as a boxing icon. He also states that the rematch could potentially surpass the revenue and viewership generated from their first fight.
“Opportunities are there, and he’s going in for the kill shot,” Mathur says of Pacquiao’s measured, yet aggressive game plan. “The idea is simple, right? These guys are legends, right? Say whatever you want about Floyd, he’s a legend at the end of the day. So, I mean, put them both together, they do it one more time, it’s going to break all records. They did it once, they’ll do it again. That’s it. You’ve just got to get him in the ring now. No matter what it takes. Just pull him in the ring.”
For Pacquiao, this isn’t nostalgia—it’s unfinished business. And if history has taught anything, it’s that writing him off has never ended well.
VIBE spoke with Manny Pacquiao and Jas Mathur about Pacquiao’s rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jr., their dispute over Mayweather Jr.’s claims of being “The Best Ever,” Top Rank allegedly blocking him from fighting Terence “Bud” Crawford, and past opponents that he respects the most.
Manny Pacquiao throws a right at Floyd Mayweather Jr. during their welterweight unification championship bout on May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Al Bello/Getty Images
VIBE: What moments or hardships most shaped your decision to pursue boxing, and how did they define the fighter you became?
Manny Pacquiao: The reason why I pursue my boxing career is just for our situation and our hardships in life.
That’s the only way, and I love it. Boxing became my passion. That’s why I’m still here pursuing my passion as a boxer and inspiring boxing fans.
Can you walk us through the evolution of your training philosophy?
Manny Pacquiao: When we talk about training, I’m not only training; I’m studying how I train. I’m studying which routine to add to our training. It’s not [always] the same way I train. I prepare for a fight [thinking] how can I improve, how can I add? What techniques, what routine can I add to the training? That’s also my focus when I’m in training.
What inspired the creation of Manny Pacquiao Promotions?
Manny Pacquiao: I established Manny Pacquiao Promotions because I want to help the next generation of young kids who are going to follow in my footsteps. We can help them develop and give those young kids a chance.
Do you have any prospects that are looking good right now that you’re pushing?
Manny Pacquiao: I know there are a lot of young boxers right now who are inspired to become world champions. So, we should promote them, give them a chance, and lead them on the right path.
You recently launched your performance and training facility. What inspired that project?
Manny Pacquiao: I’m inspired to see a lot of young athletes who want to become world champions. To show their talents and skills in the world, but don’t have a chance. Nobody gives to them or helps them. His Pacquiao Prime Boxing Gym will help them. We’re the partner of Limitless, and we can maximize it.
Jas Mathur: We’re actually going to open in about a month and a half or so officially, but it’s going to be for athletes. It’s a conditioning center. We invite all the athletes, influencers, celebrities, and the like to go there.
A lot of different opportunities. But yeah, we have an official performance training center. Dead in the center of Hollywood, too.
How do you see the sport of boxing evolving in 2026 and moving forward? How do you see the sport growing?
Manny Pacquiao: Boxing has been around for centuries. Boxing is boxing. What we are trying to do now is promote more boxing and move to another level. That’s what we are trying right now, to reach out to all those classes and categories of people, families, and everything like that. So by partnering with Netflix, we can maximize that and reach all those categories of people.
What are your thoughts on weight bullies, rehydration clauses, and boxing?
Manny Pacquiao: It depends on the fighter. It’s in you and how you undergo discipline in life. The way you lose weight, the way you gain weight, it depends on you. Manny Pacquiao? I’m a thinker.
I’m a thinker/boxer. I’m a thinker and planner. I’m not just training every day; I’m also studying boxing and developing a deeper understanding to make it easier. To be able to fight on a different level. That’s why I was able to be a champion in different weight divisions. That’s the reason why I became an eight-division world champion.
Speaking of being an eight-division world champion, you’re the only one in history. Do you think that there will ever be another eight-division world champion?
Manny Pacquiao: No one can tell. Only God can do that ’cause without God, I am nothing. Manny Pacquiao is nothing without the help of God. That’s what I learned in life: how to appreciate. Appreciate what God gives you. That’s the thing.
There’s been a lot of talk about Zuffa Boxing, different entities getting into boxing, and things of that nature. So, what are your thoughts on that?
Manny Pacquiao: My thought is boxing is boxing, and people come in and out. People come, people pass away, and then people come.
20 years from now, 10 years from now, all these boxers are gonna be retired, and then comes the new generation.
Jas Mathur: Competition’s always good for business. It’s always good. Changes, different structures, and options are always good because they increase viewership and awareness.
Boxing is a legacy sport. It’s always been the original, and it’s going to continue to be there and simply grow. Different organizations are coming in, applying different types of things. It’s only increasing awareness and getting more people into the boxing space.
Manny Pacquiao: Also, I can say this confidently. Boxing is the oldest sport in history.
Yeah, it’s from the beginning of time. You fought Mario Barrios to a draw. Different people felt differently about that, but it is what it is. How did it feel to be back in the championship bout again and perform the way you did against a far fresher and younger opponent?
Manny Pacquiao: That was a good fight with Mario Barrios, and I am surprised by the result. It was a draw, supposedly. It happened that way, so charge the experience and move on. People know who won the fight, even him. I know he knows. I have to move on and look forward to the future.
Speaking of the future, you’ve got your upcoming rematch with Floyd Mayweather. Is there anything that happened in the first fight, or maybe something you didn’t do, that will change the way you approach this match?
Manny Pacquiao: It just happened that I had a shoulder injury at that time. I can really say I was not 100% ready or prepared for that fight.
Is this fight an exhibition or is it a sanctioned fight? Because there are a lot of discrepancies about that.
Manny Pacquiao: No, to clear it out for the boxing fans and all over the world, the fight is a real fight. That’s what we signed. He got his advance, and I got my advance, so [there’s] no reason for the fight [not to happen].
Jas Mathur: He got more than an advance. He got a loan, too. So, he’s got to step into the ring, to be clear.
Have you watched any of Floyd’s exhibition fights?
Manny Pacquiao: No.
Jas Mathur: We don’t have any interest in that.
What’s one fight that you wanted but never happened? Maybe they ducked you as Mayweather did. Was there a fight where maybe it was wrong timing, and that you wanted to test your skills against, but it just never happened?
Manny Pacquiao: I think the Crawford fight.
Crawford?
Manny Pacquiao: Yeah, the Crawford fight. ‘Cause Bob Arum preserved him. I’m under Top Rank promotions, and he was under Top Rank promotions before, so I would’ve loved to fight him. But it never happened. Bob didn’t give it to me.
Would you take that fight today if it were on the table?
Manny Pacquiao: As long as I’m active in boxing, I’ll never [duck] whoever is in the line. Whoever will face me, I’ll face.
Who are some boxers today that kind of remind you of yourself, whether it’s the way they box or just their spirit?
Manny Pacquiao: I don’t say that there’s a fighter that reminds me of myself because the way I train, the way I work hard, the way I throw punches is different, you know [laughs].
Are there any boxers you happen to watch or like the way they do their thing?
Manny Pacquiao: I love to watch [Naoya] Inoue. Yeah, Inoue, the Japanese guy.
Yeah, The Monster.
Manny Pacquiao: He’s fast, and he has his footwork, but I told him before when he wasn’t a champion. He asked me about what’s better to [train], and I told him footwork. When you have footwork, you can control your opponent. You can properly throw your combination punches without losing balance.
What do you say to critics who say that boxers are too old once they’re past 40?
Manny Pacquiao: Usually, people don’t adjust to it after a boxer more than 40 years old because most of the fighters become lazy. Your metabolism is slowing down, so they’re thinking that is the end of time, but it depends on how you’re disciplined, how hard you work, and that’s a time, that’s a moment that I want to prove it to them. To open our eyes [to the fact] that even if you are more than 40 years old, you can still excel, and you can still have that fire. You can still have that speed in your body.
Courtesy of Manny Pacquiao Promotion
Coming up, who were some of the boxers that you looked up to? Who were some of the people that you kind of fashioned your style or your training after?
Manny Pacquiao: I liked Sugar Ray Leonard and Julio Cesar Chavez. Roy Jones Jr., that’s my favorite. Oscar De La Hoya. Those are fighters that I liked to watch.
Also, there’s a small guy, a small weight like [Ricardo] Lopez.
Who would you say are the three opponents you’ve fought that you respect the most?
Manny Pacquiao: I respect the most… Erik Morales, [Chris] Algieri, and Shane Mosley.
What about those fighters grants them the respect of a great like you? They’re great in their own right, too, but what sets them apart?
Manny Pacquiao: For me, to be great as a person is not only about your skills and talents in boxing, but also about how you treat others.
How you communicate with others. So, I can say Algieri, Morales, [Marco Antonio] Barrera, Miguel Cotto, and Shane Mosley. Boxing is just entertainment and nothing personal. I have no hatred or grievances against them. Nothing.
Netflix was mentioned earlier for helping grow the sport on different platforms. How do you feel about celebrity or influencer boxing? Like it’s putting the spotlight on the sport, but some people think it’s taken away. People have different opinions about that. What are your thoughts?
Manny Pacquiao: That’s their own way to contribute entertainment to the people because we consider it an exhibition with the celebrities. They want to experience what boxing is. I think some of them realize that, “Oh, boxing is so hard.” Some of them say, “Oh, boxing is so good.” So, they continue their career in boxing.
How long do you plan to keep fighting, and what keeps you going?
Manny Pacquiao: Boxing is my passion, and that’s getting me to stay in shape, to stay physically fit. So [when I’m] doing that, I’m happy.
When you discover boxing, how it is, and how you stay active, of course, it’s a favor and blessing from God. Strength, good health, that’s the most important thing.
Jas Mathur: You’ve got to be mentally healthy first. That’s the most important. Boxing is a lot of mentality; you’ve got to be mentally strong, shut things off, prioritize what matters, and move forward. Listen, we have the same amount of hours in a day, right? Can’t look at someone else’s life or another boxer and say, “Why is he there and I’m not there?” It’s just their level of dedication and discipline.
Many are looking forward to the fight. What can fans expect?
Manny Pacquiao: It’s going to be a big fight with more action. I think this is more intense compared to the last one.
Jas Mathur: Oh, yeah. He’s going for the kill shot. Manny’s going for the kill shot. We’re not here to play games. Listen, you’ve got to see him train how he is. He’s in much better conditioning, even than in the last fight. So, when people say, “Oh, you’re over a certain age, they’re this, they’re that.”
Listen, all those people who are criticizing, they’re going to be the first ones to watch, right? So, they need to worry about their own lives and not hate on other people and other things.
What’s your prediction for the fight? Knockout? Is it a decision?
Manny Pacquiao: I’m not a predictor. I don’t want to [make] a prediction before the fight, but this time, I will make sure that people are satisfied. The fans will be satisfied. I know the fans’ mindset, so I have to do my part to prepare, train hard, work hard, and make sure I’m in 100% condition on the night of the fight.
Floyd calls himself “The Best Ever” (TBE) a lot—
Jas Mathur: In his head.
And many people say you’re the greatest. Both of you have acolytes, respectively. There’s a mutual respect, I would think, between—
Manny Pacquiao: I’m going to throw back the question, since Floyd’s claiming he’s the G.O.A.T. Let me ask you, just give me one part in which Floyd can claim that he’s the only one.
The undefeated record?
Manny Pacquiao: No, there are other boxers.
He’s not the only one. You’ve got Rocky Marciano. You’ve got Andre Ward.
Manny Pacquiao: There are a lot of fighters who retired undefeated [with] more than 50 fights. So, there’s a lot. He cannot claim to be the only fighter to retire undefeated. I think there are more than 15 or 16 of those fighters who did. If you’re proclaiming yourself to be a G.O.A.T., in which part can you claim that you’re a G.O.A.T.?
When you’re claiming that, then you have to have something that’s different. You have unique things that other fighters don’t have. We’re talking about accomplishments. The reality is, I can claim some of those. I can claim that I’m the only fighter who’s become champion in eight different weight divisions. The only. I’m the only fighter who’s become a champion in four decades. 90s, 2000, 2010, and 2020. So, who’s the G.O.A.T.? You are proclaiming yourself as G.O.AT., [but] it’s in your head. Let the people proclaim who’s the greatest.
Jas Mathur: Floyd has it in his own head. There’s a difference between Floyd saying it and calling himself that, and all the people around him that he pays are his yes men. Right?
Remember, I was in that circle for a very long time, so I can speak to this. I know how that circle works better than anyone. I’ve traveled the world with him, and I’ve traveled multiple places with Manny. I’ve been to public events with both of them now, and I’m going to tell you this: Manny gets 10-times more respect.
Where fans recognize him in all kinds of different sports events. On this little tour we just went on, we were at soccer, hockey, basketball, and baseball games. When his [Pacquiao’s] face and name go on the screen, everybody in the arena and the stadium erupts. That does not happen with Floyd Mayweather. Nor does Floyd Mayweather stop to take pictures or do anything with fans.
And I’m not just talking about fans. We went to India, and he screwed his thing up getting in with the Ambani family. That’s a whole other story. But you’ve got big guys and so many deals that can happen, and he’s sitting there playing games on his phone and making people wait. Floyd disrespects people. Manny doesn’t disrespect people. People know Manny as the greatest of all time.
They respect, appreciate, and acknowledge his accomplishments. He doesn’t need to run around and say he’s the best ever. People say that about him. He’s the real people’s champ. Floyd needs to run around, wear a TBE hat, and have all his gang wear a hat around him. Huge difference. You want people to tell you you’re the greatest. You don’t need to tell yourself you’re the greatest to satisfy your own ego. That being said again, he needs to step up in the ring because he’s taking way too much money against this fight.
Manny Pacquiao: Also, those people who agree with him that he’s the G.O.A.T., they don’t understand boxing. They don’t understand and don’t know what boxing is. The people who know boxing know who’s the G.O.A.T. in boxing.
Jas Mathur: Manny doesn’t need to walk around with a duffel bag, pretending it has 3 million bucks in it when it only has 10 grand. Manny doesn’t need to go sit next to Jay-Z and start counting cash at a basketball game. You don’t see people doing that kind of dumb shit. So, bottom line, Manny has eight division world championships.
Name me one other boxer that does. Floyd’s 50-0, Rocky Marciano also retired undefeated, just like many others. Being undefeated is not everything. That’s not everything. And Floyd never lost professionally, but he did lose before. People just forget that.
Manny Pacquiao: I think the fight with Oscar De La Hoya, he lost it.
Jas Mathur: Yeah, he did. He didn’t do the rematch with Oscar. He retired for one year.
Manny Pacquiao: Review it. I know what boxing is, and if you review and watch the fight, Floyd lost.
Jas Mathur: Floyd lost the fight.
Manny Pacquiao: Very clear, so watch that. Thank you [laughs].
What’s next for Manny Pacquiao? What can people expect? Anything that we didn’t mention?
Manny Pacquiao: Our plan and focus right now are on how we can maximize to help the younger generation. That’s why we put up a Pacquiao Prime Boxing Gym in partnership with Limitless and Jas. We are also establishing a business here in the United States. Not only here, but all over the world. It’s expanding what we can do, business-wise.
