Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2 will not be fighting an exhibition on Showtime after a December 9 show was canceled.
Showtime decided against a Pay Per View to sign off from the sport on which Floyd Mayweather was linked to appearing. Instead, Showtime will televise a non-PPV one week later on December 16.
Mayweather was originally due to be pitted against Mikey Garcia. However, Garcia denied any notion of the fight in subsequent interviews.
Mayweather vs Pacquiao on RIZIN
Manny Pacquiao then told reporters he would be facing Mayweather in December, leading to reports Showtime could make a bid to stage the rematch over Japanese organization RIZIN.
If the second fight does go ahead between the legends, it’s now likely to happen on New Year’s Eve or a RIZIN show further down the line.
Some fans will be disappointed that Showtime will go out with a whimper. Others will be happy that Showtime doesn’t expect fans to pay for two premium events in two weeks.
David Benavidez vs Demetrius Andrade will already occur on SHO PPV at the end of this month. Adding another on December 9 would have hurt the boxing community.
The final Showtime PPV line-up
Meanwhile, the final line-up for Benavidez vs Andrade on November 25 is confirmed.
Showtime stated that undefeated WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo will battle Jose Benavidez Jr. in a ten-round non-title co-main event.
The PPV will also see IBF 140-pound world champion Subriel Matias go up against unbeaten mandatory challenger Shohjahon Ergashev.
Finally, rounding out the four-fight card will be WBA super featherweight ruler Hector Luis Garcia. He duels top-rated mandatory challenger Lamont Roach in the telecast opener at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Premier Boxing Champions host the event from Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions, said: “Boxing fans will get a whole feast of action on November 25 with three high-stakes fights leading up to the SHOWTIME PPV main event between David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade.
“Jermall Charlo will look to show why he’s the top middleweight in the world against the highly-motivated Jose Benavidez Jr.
“While champions Subriel Matias and Hector Luis Garcia will enter the ring seeking to hold off fast-rising mandatory challengers Shohjahon Ergashev and Lamont Roach.
“From start to finish, fans watching on pay-per-view and at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas are in for a memorable night where every bout could truly steal the show.”
