Manny Pacquiao confirmed on Thursday that his anticipated September fight with Floyd Mayweather will not be an exhibition, countering claims from his rival who suggested the bout would be purely for entertainment.

Last month, Netflix announced the long-awaited rematch of the highest-grossing event in boxing history, with Pacquiao and Mayweather, both now in their late forties, scheduled to meet at the Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19.

However, Mayweather surprised the boxing community earlier this week by indicating that their fight would be more of a performance than a competitive match. "It's an exhibition, so we're both winners," he stated in an interview with Vegas Sports Today. "We just want to go out there and entertain the people and put on a good show."

Pacquiao quickly responded on Friday, making it clear that he sees the match differently.

"I want to be very clear that the contract we signed is for a professional boxing match. This is not an exhibition; it is a real fight," he said in a statement sent to AFP.

"I wish to clear up any misinformation regarding my upcoming bout against Floyd Mayweather. From the beginning, my intention has been to give the fans what they truly want to see: a high-level, competitive sanctioned fight," he elaborated.

He emphasized that Netflix's announcement in February accurately reflected the terms of their agreement, and his team expects the original contract to be upheld.

On Wednesday, Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, criticized Mayweather's comments during an interview with ESPN, affirming that the fight will go ahead as planned. "Floyd Mayweather is officially in breach of his contract," he declared to the US-based sports outlet.

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