AMID the tension surrounding the Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. rematch on Sept. 19, a subplot cropped up when the Filipino ring icon made what was supposed to be a typical purchase.
Pacquiao, 47, recently acquired a boxing gym located in Hollywood, California. He has rebranded the gym as “Pacquiao Prime Boxing” and plans to transform it into a plush, private training center for professional athletes.
Pacquiao’s acquisition of the gym gained a lot of media ink after it turned out that the fitness club was previously owned by American rival Mayweather.
The gym in Hollywood was one of the many boxing/fitness clubs put up in California by Mayweather’s team sometime in 2018, shortly after he retired from pro boxing in 2017.
Mayweather also put up a boxing/fitness club in Irvine City, Orange County, California, and three more in the Sacramento area.
All branches have been closed amid reports of Mayweather’s financial woes.
The Mayweather Boxing and Fitness club in Elk Grove, Sacramento closed in May 2024 after the owner of the property sued for unpaid rent.
The branch in Delta Shores, South Sacramento, closed about the same time as the branch in Elk Grove.
The branch in Folsom, California, was apparently closed in late 2025 after the owner of the lot put up the property for lease.
Yet another branch in Irvine, California, was reported as “closed” as of April 2026.
The gym in Hollywood, California, supposedly the centerpiece branch, was shut down amid a plethora of labor problems in 2024 and 2025.
Late in 2024, several employees of the Hollywood gym, including general manager Samaria Bolden, accused Mayweather of unpaid wages and mistreatment.
One boxing coach claimed Mayweather promised him a great opportunity but the boxer failed to deliver. The boxing coach claimed he was forced to deal with unpaid wages on a consistent basis.
In January 2025, the employees of the Hollywood gym staged a walkout, holding signs such as “Hard work, dedication... and then what?” and “modern day slavery.”
Mayweather was accused of violating the California Labor Code Section 210, which imposes penalties for an employer who fails to pay his employees on time.
The fate of the Mayweather gyms was sealed as Mayweather faced recurring financial problems.
Mayweather, who earned over $1.1 billion in his pro career, recently faced a $7.3 million lien for unpaid taxes from 2018 and 2023. Previously, he shelled out $22.2 million to settle tax issues in 2015 (the year of the mega fight with Pacquiao) and a $7.2 million lien for 2010.
Mayweather is also facing lawsuits over unpaid rent and jewelry debts.
Jewelers have accused Mayweather of failing to pay $5 million for purchases made. An owner of a luxury apartment in Las Vegas is claiming unpaid rent in the amount of over $300,000.
It has been widely reported that Mayweather secured a $54 million loan, with interest at 9 percent, to address creditors. Mayweather put up as collateral for the loan assets like his private jet, homes and his strip club in Las Vegas.
Mayweather is clearly in a financial bind. He agreed to a rematch with Pacquiao with the end in view of instantly resuscitating his bank account.
Mayweather, however, drew the ire of boxing fans when he backtracked and claimed the Pacquiao rematch is just an exhibition. Pacquiao denied such claim and his team threatened to sue for breach of contract.
The latest news from the grapevine is that Mayweather cannot afford another legal claim for damages and has agreed to a real fight with Pacquiao.
Back to Pacquiao’s acquisition of the Hollywood gym. It’s more than a typical purchase; it is Pacquiao throwing a subtle punch at Mayweather and his financial troubles.
Mayweather has never been shy to brag about his “wealth.”
There were occasions when Mayweather even criticized Pacquiao for continuing to fight in his 40s and suggested that the Filipino could be facing money issues.
Well, as it turned out, a 49-year-old Mayweather is returning to the sport because his wallet is running dry. Pacquiao’s acquisition of Mayweather’s gym, a failed investment by the American, is the Filipino telling Floyd: “So who really has no money now?”
It is a Pacquiao phantom left straight, one that landed smack on Mayweather’s jaw.