Speculation that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao could share a ring again in 2026 is the latest reminder that veteran matchups - and the wider circus surrounding them - aren’t going anywhere.
The two legends, now 48 and 46 respectively, are rumoured to be the subject of a Netflix-backed rematch, 11 years after their long-awaited 2015 showdown.
That first encounter, which unified three of the four major welterweight titles, was billed as a modern-day “Four Kings” moment - Leonard-Hagler-Duran-Hearns reborn.
Instead, it arrived years too late and delivered a damp squib of a spectacle.
Still, both men remain huge box-office names. Mayweather continues to cash in through exhibition bouts across the globe, while Pacquiao recently resurfaced with a spirited draw against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios.
Between them, they’ve fought professionally 123 times, yet the lure of one last mega-payday appears as strong as ever.
And as if that wasn’t surreal enough, Mayweather is also set to face Mike Tyson - yes, 59-year-old Mike Tyson - in a crossover event that will stretch the concept of “sports entertainment” to its limits.
No broadcaster has been confirmed, but Netflix looks the likeliest bidder, and it’s clear the streaming giant sees boxing as fertile ground for spectacle.
In the last 18 months alone, Netflix has aired Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson, Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano 3, and Canelo Álvarez vs Terence Crawford - all of which delivered enormous viewership figures.
Next month, they’ll go again with the frankly bewildering Paul vs Gervonta Davis, a bout between a cruiserweight YouTuber and a lightweight world champion.
That’s a weight gap of around 65 pounds, though Davis will no doubt bulk up for the biggest payday of his life.
These events may make purists groan, but they’re hard to ignore. The numbers don’t lie: people are watching. As long as the audience keeps tuning in, the platform will keep feeding them.
Misfits Boxing - home to crossover stars like KSI and former UFC fighter Darren Till - has carved out its own lucrative niche by mixing influencers with ex-pros and MMA veterans.
The company is even venturing into legitimate boxing, signing decorated amateur prospects like Amir “Cashman” Anderson. It’s a move that might raise eyebrows, but the exposure could make Anderson a household name before his professional debut.
Even Carl Froch, one of Britain’s most respected champions of the modern era, has hinted at a possible crossover fight with Till.
Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2, then, isn’t about legacy. It’s an exercise in nostalgia and greed - but it might also be better than their first fight, which sets a low bar.
Thankfully, the “real” side of boxing is currently thriving.
Thanks to the financial might of Turki Alalshikh and Saudi Arabia, fans are finally seeing the fights that once took a decade to negotiate.
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk and Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol all became realities because someone with deep pockets decided the sport deserved it.
The downside is that these blockbuster nights have drained quality from domestic cards in the UK, where promoters are left scrambling for depth.
Boxing has always had room for the bizarre - from Butterbean to George Foreman’s comebacks - but the line between sport and spectacle is getting blurrier by the year.
And here’s the truth: whether we continue down this path isn’t up to promoters, broadcasters, or fighters. It’s up to us!
If fans tune out, the freakshows fade away. If they click, stream, and share every outrageous matchup that hits their feed, the machine keeps rolling.
The power lies with the audience - and the future of boxing depends on what it chooses to watch next...
