Jas Mathur has revealed why Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao 2 is only happening now, outlining the timing, access, and alignment required to bring the long-awaited rematch back to life.
Having worked closely with both fighters, Mathur is in a rare position in modern boxing, with direct ties to both sides — one of the few figures able to bridge two camps that spent years apart following their 2015 showdown.
This isn’t just a return to a historic rivalry. According to Mathur, the conditions needed to make the fight happen had never fully aligned until now.
“No Brainer”
“In this era of live sports streaming, this rematch was a no brainer,” Mathur told World Boxing News.
“Having worked with both fighters and currently working with Manny as CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, I was really in a unique position to help ensure that this fight was the perfect situation for each of them.”
The shift toward global streaming platforms, combined with Mathur’s involvement across both sides, created a situation that had not existed since the original bout.
Behind the Scenes
Mathur also outlined the level of coordination required behind closed doors, stressing that agreement extended far beyond just the fighters themselves.
“You need real buy-in from both sides — not just the fighters, but everyone around them. The teams, the advisors, the business partners. Everyone has to be aligned.
“That takes months of conversations, late nights, early mornings, back-and-forth before anything goes public — and that’s before you even get into Netflix securing the rights to broadcast a professional match with these two fighters, or Floyd’s retirement.
“And it’s a special honor for this to be the first boxing match in The Sphere, too, but that’s not an easy venue to book.”
Those moving parts — from broadcast negotiations to venue logistics and retirement considerations — underline why the rematch remained out of reach for so long despite continued fan demand.
This is not nostalgia driving the fight. It only becomes possible when every side is aligned, the platform is in place, and the timing finally works — something that, until now, had never come together in boxing.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.
