Manny Pacquiao brushed aside concerns that his long-awaited rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. has come too late, insisting that both fighters remain in condition ahead of their scheduled showdown.
Set for September 19, 2026 and expected to stream globally, the bout comes more than a decade after their first meeting, which drew massive global attention.
But for Pacquiao, timing is not an issue.
“Hindi naman, hindi naman kami nagpabaya sa kondisyon namin,” Pacquiao said.
The eight-division world champion added that preparations are already underway, albeit gradually.
“Actually magte-training na ako ngayon, light training lang,” he said.
While the focus remains on the Mayweather rematch, Pacquiao also clarified that a potential tune-up fight is still uncertain.
“Hindi pa sigurado… kahit tune-up fight pa lang ‘yun,” he said, referring to the exhibition bout against Ruslan Provodnikov.
Pacquiao, who briefly returned to action in 2025 in a title fight against Mario Barrios that ended in a draw, has remained active through exhibitions despite his formal retirement from professional boxing.
Outside the ring, the boxing icon continues to expand his business ventures. On Wednesday, Pacquiao signed a partnership with DigiPlus through his e-wallet MannyPay and was named ambassador of GameZone and ArenaPlus. There would also be nine games to be released on BingoPlus using the likeness of Pacquiao.
As for his political future, Pacquiao said there are no concrete plans at the moment.
“Wala pa, wala pa,” he said when asked about a possible run in the 2028 elections.
With preparations slowly ramping up, Pacquiao remains firm on one thing: the moment is not too late. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
