Real or not: Will Mayweather, Pacquiao and 'Tank' ...

ESPN

Jul 10, 2026, 07:48 AM ET

Manny Pacquiao has waited more than a decade for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather. And just when it appeared the long-awaited sequel might finally happen, the fight once again seems to be slipping away. Will Pacquiao keep waiting for Mayweather or turn his attention to another opponent? At 47 years old, he's also chasing history by trying to break his own record as the oldest welterweight champion. So is a title fight a better option next?

Mayweather, meanwhile, had exhibition bouts lined up against Mike Tyson and kickboxer Mike Zambidis, but neither has materialized because of various legal issues. Will Mayweather find a way to the ring before the end of the year?

Heavyweight contender Moses Itauma has looked unstoppable, winning his past 10 fights by stoppage, including demolishing victories against Dillian Whyte in August 2025 and Jermaine Franklin Jr. in March. He faces Filip Hrgovic on Aug. 29, and with Oleksandr Usyk vacating his WBA, IBF and WBC titles, could Itauma earn a world title shot before year's end?

Gervonta "Tank" Davis hasn't fought since March 2025 but is looking to get back in the ring as soon as possible. Can he fight this year amid his recent legal issues?

Andreas Hale and Nick Parkinson tackle these questions, separating what's real from what's not.

Real or not: Gervonta 'Tank' Davis will fight in 2026

Not real. But it's looking more and more likely that he'll be back in early 2027.

Davis hasn't fought since his controversial majority draw with Lamont Roach in March 2025. Since then, Davis has been facing a litany of legal issues. A proposed fight with Jake Paul was scheduled for last November but was canceled after Davis was accused by his ex-girlfriend of aggravated battery and false imprisonment.

Sources have told ESPN that Davis is champing at the bit to get back in the ring and has been hoping to secure a fight in 2026. However, with an active warrant out for his arrest in his hometown of Baltimore for violating probation, there's concern that any fight for Davis could be affected by his legal issues.

Davis has been active on X, poking and prodding at his peers, specifically WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney. Sources have told ESPN that Davis won't be looking for a tune-up if and when he gets back into the ring, and a fight with Haney is in his crosshairs. That would certainly suggest that "Tank" will make the move from 135 pounds -- where he's currently the WBA's champion in recess -- to 147 pounds. He's never fought at a weight class higher than junior welterweight (140 pounds), which he did once when he stopped Mario Barrios in 2021 to become a three-division champion, but apparently he is welcome to the idea if he can secure a fight with Haney. And the conversations are more than just talk, according to sources.

Haney has yet to fight in 2026 after dominating Brian Norman Jr. last November. He's been linked to a title defense against Keyshawn Davis after the WBO recently ordered a fight between the two, and Haney will need to get in a title defense soon if he is interested in landing a blockbuster fight with Davis in early 2027. The longer he waits to book a fight this year, the more unlikely it is that he'll be ready for a quick turnaround. Either way, Davis is hell-bent on fighting again and only wants the biggest names and toughest challenges available. -- Hale

Real or not: Manny Pacquiao will fight Floyd Mayweather next

Not real. Pacquiao has waited more than a decade for a Mayweather rematch, and while it's been close to happening, that fight won't happen until 2027, at the earliest. Pacquiao, 47, doesn't have time on his side and won't wait for Mayweather again. Instead, he's looking to stay active and aims to get back into the ring before the end of 2026.

"Manny Pacquiao is looking to return to the ring in September or October," Pacquiao's manager, Sean Gibbons, told ESPN.

When he initially came out of a four-year retirement in 2025, the goal was to break his own record as the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history. He came up short when he battled Mario Barrios to a controversial majority draw in July 2025. There was talk that he'd attempt the feat again against WBA champion Rolando "Rolly" Romero earlier this year. But then the opportunity to face Mayweather presented itself, and Pacquiao pushed those plans aside. With Romero reportedly set to defend his title against Teofimo Lopez Jr. in August, Pacquiao will have to look in another direction. When asked if Pacquiao would target IBF titleholder Liam Paro, Gibbons said Paro wasn't on Pacquiao's list of potential opponents. That could change, however, as Pacquiao weighs his options. Ultimately, Pacquiao's plan is to stay active. If a title opportunity presents itself, he would consider it. But getting back into the ring before the end of the year is the ultimate goal. -- Hale

Real or not: Floyd Mayweather will fight this year

Real. As grim as it seems with the multiple lawsuits and all three of his scheduled fights against Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson and Mike Zambidis (the last two as exhibitions) postponed, it's still likely that we'll see Mayweather in a boxing ring against somebody before the end of the year. As mentioned earlier, the Pacquiao fight is unlikely to be next. But with a federal judge denying a temporary restraining order against Mayweather filed by CSI, the event production company that was slated to put on the Tyson and Pacquiao fights, the path is clear for Mayweather to face Zambidis in an exhibition. The fight was originally scheduled for June 27 in Greece, but postponed while the legal issues sorted themselves out, and Mayweather's attorneys said it would be rescheduled if the TRO was denied.

A Zambidis fight is a low-risk, high-reward option for Mayweather, one where he doesn't have to be concerned about it being a pro fight, as with Pacquiao, or if his opponent will be healthy enough to get into the ring, as has been the case with a 60-year-old Tyson. Between Tyson's sciatica flare-ups and a hand injury that put the brakes on the Mayweather exhibition, who knows if the fight will ever come to fruition?

Mayweather has stayed in shape through the legal proceedings, and the Zambidis fight is the one that he appears most committed to making happen. There's no pressure of drawing a significant TV rating or selling out a stadium. Regardless of his current financial situation, Mayweather has always liked money and could secure a big payday before the end of 2026. -- Hale

Real or not: Moses Itauma will win a world title this year

Real. Provided the 21-year-old knockout specialist beats Filip Hrgovic on Aug. 29, the path to a title gets clearer for Itauma. After Oleksandr Usyk recently decided to give up his WBC, IBF and WBA heavyweight titles, there will be opportunities for others to fight for the vacant belts, and Itauma is ranked high enough with all four boxing governing bodies to expect a shot at a title before 2027.

Itauma won't have to fight Usyk for one of the belts, nor former champions Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, who are set to meet in late 2026. Itauma is likely to face either Frank Sanchez for the vacant IBF title or Murat Gassiev for the WBA belt, if he beats Hrgovic at the O2 Arena in southeast London. Itauma is the second-highest-ranked contender with the IBF behind Sanchez, and No. 1 with the WBA, which elevated "regular" champion Gassiev to full world champion status after Usyk gave up the belt. Gassiev is making his first defense of the title against late replacement Peter Kadiru on Saturday.

The IBF ordered the start of negotiations for a fight between Itauma and Sanchez for the vacant belt, even if Itauma still has to beat Hrgovic: "In accordance with IBF championship rules, No. 1-ranked contender in the IBF heavyweight division, Frank Sanchez, has been ordered to negotiate with No. 3-ranked contender Moses Itauma. They have until July 29 to reach an agreement."

Sanchez flattened Richard Torrez in two rounds in Egypt last month, his second win since being knocked out by Agit Kabayel two years ago.

Kabayel, who was hoping to fight Usyk next, has been promoted from WBC interim champion to full champion and will also need a challenger for his first defense. Itauma is ranked No. 3 with the WBC behind Fury and Lawrence Okolie, both of whom are unavailable for a title shot in 2026. Fury is busy pursuing Joshua, while Okolie tested positive for a banned substance in April. That makes Itauma the highest-ranked available contender for Kabayel's WBC belt, just as he is with the WBO title, which is held by Daniel Dubois. -- Parkinson