The boxing match between Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather and Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao broke all financial records in 2015—the legendary event remains at the top to this day.
Eleven years later, this boxing match still towers above all others—at least from a financial standpoint: The unification bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao on May 2, 2015, reached heights never before seen in the ring.
In total, the fight in Las Vegas, which Mayweather won by decision, generated around $623.5 million—a record that even the similarly massive showdown two years later between Mayweather and UFC superstar Conor McGregor could not surpass.
Yet the showdown between “Money” Mayweather and “Pac-Man” Pacquiao never quite lived up to the massive hype. The “Fight of the Century” was quite one-sided; the spectacle ultimately felt too big for the sport.
The late world champion Graciano Rocchigiani summed it up at the time: “That was a boring shit fight.” Perhaps that’s why the two boxing legends want to face off in a rematch on September 19, 2026.
“Fight of the Century” breaks all boundaries
Will absurd sums of money change hands again? For the first showdown, the 15,000 tickets at the MGM Grand Garden Arena sold for $72.2 million—more than three and a half times the previous record.
4.6 million people purchased the fight in the U.S. as a pay-per-view event, generating $410 million in revenue.
Mayweather’s (then WBA and WBC world champion) purse is said to have amounted to a staggering $180 million due to the insane commercial success; Pacquiao (WBO) also reportedly pocketed over $100 million.
“It’s crazy, absolutely insane,” Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum told ESPN even before the fight, adding: “We wouldn’t have reached these numbers if we had staged the fight five years ago.”
Pacquiao seeks revenge
Eleven years later, a rematch is now set to take place, once again in Las Vegas. The fight between the two boxing icons, who have since retired, is scheduled for September 19.
For Pacquiao, it’s all about revenge. In the legendary 2015 event, he claimed he had been hampered by a shoulder injury.
“The fans have waited long enough—they deserve this rematch,” said Pacquiao. “I want Floyd to have to live with that one loss in his professional career and always remember who inflicted it on him.”
Mayweather has won all 50 of his professional fights; his record remains virtually flawless to this day. His exhibition match against Logan Paul was technically a draw, as no winner was declared.
Not only is his status as an undefeated fighter legendary, but his nickname “Money” is no coincidence. According to Forbes, the career earnings of the once-highest-paid athlete in the world are said to exceed one billion dollars.
Mayweather announces next victory
The American is now 49 years old. He isn’t worried about the upcoming rematch with his opponent from the Philippines, who is two years his junior (62 wins, eight losses, three draws): “I’ve already fought Manny once and defeated him. This time, the result will be the same.”
To prepare for the rematch, both fighters were actually supposed to have stepped into the ring once before. But Mayweather’s bout with Mike Tyson fell through, as did Pacquiao’s clash with the Russian Ruslan Provodnikov. The fights were originally scheduled for April.
It is not yet clear whether the canceled fights will take place. But if Mayweather has his way, there is at least one guarantee: “No one will reach a bigger audience, have a bigger global broadcast, or bring in more money with any event.” So for him, the hype is already massive again.