Floyd Mayweather denies Manny Pacquiao rematch in Saudi Arabia talks

Mayweather beat Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2015. (AFP/File photo)
Updated 20 August 2019
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Floyd Mayweather denies Manny Pacquiao rematch in Saudi Arabia talks

  • A video that appeared on social media on Sunday featured Mayweather saying he was traveling to Saudi Arabia to discuss the fight
  • But now Mayweather says video is old and the fight will never happen

LONDON: Floyd Mayweather has denied that he is in talks over a rematch with Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao in Saudi Arabia.

A video that appeared on social media on Sunday featured Mayweather saying he was traveling to Saudi Arabia to discuss the fight.

But late on Monday, the undefeated 50-0 fighter, took to Instagram  to say the video was old and that the fight “will never happen again.”

The American fighter also told FightHype.com that the video was shot nearly nine months ago ahead of a trip he took to Saudi Arabia in January.

In the video, Mayweather said: “It’s an honor to come to Saudi Arabia to sit down with you guys to talk about the Mayweather vs Pacquiao rematch. Saudi Arabia — Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather — I’m on my way.”

Mayweather beat Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2015.


US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues

Updated 13 January 2026
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US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues

The US will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and ​America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses.

The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the US ‌secure, with over ‌a million travelers expected ‌to ⁠visit ​for ‌the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas.

The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both ⁠European and US airports.

“We are entering a new era ‌to defend our air ‍superiority to protect our ‍borders and the interior of the ‍United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including ​tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns.

The DHS did not specify ⁠which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues. The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.

Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for ‌defending against drone attacks.