Manny Pacquiao sat down in a New York City studio alongside Jas Mathur, CEO of ‘Manny Pacquiao Promotions’, where the conversation centered on the growing uncertainty surrounding his planned September 19 matchup against Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The event is expected to be broadcast on Netflix.
Speaking about the matchup itself and his physical condition heading into a potential rematch, Pacquiao was candid about the circumstances surrounding their first meeting.
“For me, I want this matchup,” he said. “The last time that we had, I’m not 100% condition because I was ready for the match because I have an injured shoulder. That’s why right after the bout I go straight to the hospital and get operated.”
When asked directly whether he believed Mayweather was avoiding him, Pacquiao acknowledged that accusations of Mayweather ducking him have circulated since before their original showdown.
The discussion then shifted to contingency planning. If negotiations were to fall apart, Pacquiao made it clear that his team is prepared to move forward without hesitation.
“Yes, we’re ready for that, to proceed to Plan B or Plan C,” he said.
Given a single camera and an open invitation to address Mayweather personally, Mathur delivered his message to Mayweather on behalf of Pacquiao.
“Man up. Be a man. Don’t be a chicken. Don’t be a coward. Don’t be a chicken. Don’t be a coward. Be a man. Stop sitting down and throwing your problems on everybody else and blaming another individual or people for everything gone wrong in your life,” he said.
After issuing the challenge, Mathur shifted his tone from confrontation to something closer to counsel. He framed the potential rematch not just as a sporting event but as a business opportunity that could define the next phase of Mayweather’s career.
“I told you from the beginning. I warned you on a lot of things. I had your back on a million things. Now you have this opportunity. You’re going to have either the right team and you’re going to turn, you’re going to become a billionaire off of this, or you’re going to listen to the wrong advisers again and you’re going to be stuck in a holding pattern, or you’re going to hit your head in a wall. You have an option. Pick the right door, get it done, and build something big,” he said.
