Promoter Frank Warren isn’t too enthused about the announced September rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, saying he has “no interest” in watching the two aged combatants go at it, any more than he did with Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.
“I hope it’s not going to be sanctioned by any of the governing bodies,” Warren told Sky Sports. “I have no interest in a 47-year-old fighting a 49-year-old. No more than watching Mike Tyson fight Jake Paul.
“To me, it’s not boxing as I class it. Don’t
get me wrong, they’re hitting each other, they’re in the ring. And whether you’re 49 or 20, those punches hurt. But at their age, they shouldn’t be doing it.”
Mayweather (50-0, 27 KO) hasn’t had a sanctioned boxing match since 2017, and hasn’t faced an actual professional boxer since 2015. Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KO) has fought just once since 2021, returning last year to go to a draw with Mario Barrios in a WBC welterweight title bout.
Both have done exhibitions over those years, and have more coming up. In April, Mayweather is tentatively set to “face” Mike Tyson, while Pacquiao will get in a ring with Ruslan Provodnikov.
Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2 will be a fully-sanctioned pro fight, though, set for 12 rounds at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19. The event will stream live on Netflix, an outlet that has specialized mainly in novelty-style boxing shows since entering the boxing arena.
It should be said that if Warren were the promoter of the event, it’s likely he would express very different public feelings about it.
