If you can’t beat him, buy his gym

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, July 8, you can expect weather just hot enough to debate whether it’s worth turning on the A/C.

The May 2015 fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao was one of the most anticipated, and most disappointing, in boxing history. Both boxers were in their late 30s and well past their prime, and Pacquiao was secretly nursing a serious shoulder injury. The bout, which ended in a unanimous decision for Mayweather, was described by sportswriters as “awful” with “no action.” 

It was also one of the most lucrative. The fight generated over $600 million in gross revenue, so a rematch was set for this coming September at the Sphere in Las Vegas with live streaming on Netflix. No one involved seemed alarmed that the boxers involved would have a combined age of 96. 

Then, two weeks ago, the fight was postponed, and now appears indefinitely tied up in legal issues. (Mayweather’s team is alleged to have committed the rights to multiple promoters.) 

But even if it never happens, the prospect has sparked a real estate transaction that has transformed a block of Highland Ave in Hollywood — and devastated a small Thai restaurant. 

That’s because in the promotional lead-up to the rematch, Pacquiao bought one of Mayweather’s former boxing gyms, took down Mayweather’s pictures, and put up nearly identical ones of his own.  

In what amounts to a great real estate troll, the former Mayweather Boxing + Fitness gym at 1724 N Highland Ave is now the Pacquiao Prime Boxing Gym. 

Pacquiao’s purchase comes as Mayweather Boxing + Fitness has been in a long financial slide. The operation was once a worldwide gym franchise with more than 70 locations, including at least nine throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Fewer than half remain. The Hollywood location shuttered on January 1, 2025. Representatives for Mayweather could not immediately be reached for comment. 

News of the Hollywood gym’s closure eventually made its way to Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions. 

"Right after Manny's [2025] fight against [Mario] Barrios, we went to go see it together,” said Mathur. “The cherry on the cake is for it to have Floyd's name and to switch it out. But the location is key as a flagship to expand.” 

Pacquiao, who is Filipino, has deep roots in Los Angeles. Before taking over Mayweather’s gym, he could often be found at Wild Card Boxing Club, a Hollywood gym owned by his longtime trainer Freddie Roach. And in a version of the Rocky II training montage but with better weather, Pacquiao can also sometimes be spotted running in Griffith Park or around the Silver Lake Reservoir. Pacquiao might also be the only Angeleno personally banned from The Grove by its owner, Rick Caruso, not once but twice, for alleged anti-gay remarks. A spokesperson for Caruso did not respond to a request for comment about whether the ban was still in effect and whether it also applied to The Americana at Brand.

While it remains to be seen if the opening bell will ring for Mayweather vs Pacquiao II, Mayweather isn’t the only injured party in the fight’s long lead up.  

“They took all of my business,” said Tina Srdakun, the owner of Nat Thai Food. The eatery sits in the same strip mall as Wild Card Boxing Club, where Pacquiao and his team’s boxers and trainers (and their hangers-on) spent hours every day — until they decamped to the new gym. On a recent afternoon, the interior of the restaurant was still covered in sun-faded autographed photos of Pacquiao in the ring, or posing after a post-workout meal. A fresh poster, advertising for the upcoming-or-maybe-not Mayweather vs Pacquiao II hung hopefully on a beverage cooler.

Don’t show up empty-handed to the kickback. Our new referral program has you covered with dad hats, discounts, and a really good newsletter recommendation.

This summer, we’re asking our readers to help us spread the word about L.A. Material. By referring just a few friends, you can win exclusive new merch and even a $10 gift card toward any beverage at Chinatown’s own Homage Brewing. 

What’s more, the Materialists who refer the most new subscribers will earn an invite to our already-legendary end-of-summer party.

TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT: More than 11,000 Californians received a DMV notice that "irregularities" in their written test results will result in a loss of license unless they retake the exam within 30 days, the L.A. Times reports. The agency has not responded to speculation that its week-old partnership with Anthropic's AI assistant Claude played a role in the snafu.

FLOAT LIKE A…: Did you know that you can kayak the L.A. River? SFGate penned a dispatch from the Class 1 rapids in Frogtown detailing a hobby that was illegal for most of the decades following the completion of the river's concrete encasement in 1959. 

THE SWEET SCIENCE: If you’re enjoying berries this summer — or really any season — then you likely have Watsonville, CA-based Driscoll’s to thank. The New York Times documented its dominance of the global berry market, including its invention of the ventilated clamshell plastic container and genetic ownership of 210 different strains of berries. 

TAKING A DIVE: Just over two weeks after a teenager jumped out of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure moments before the ride’s 52 ½ foot drop, TMZ reports that Disneyland employees stopped the attraction last weekend after another child hopped out of the log ride formerly known as Splash Mountain.

IN TRUMP’S CORNER: Former L.A. mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt met with President Trump in the Oval Office, according to a photo Pratt posted on social media with the caption “I will never stop fighting for my community."

In today’s archival footage flashback from 2001, a free KROQ-sponsored concert to celebrate the release of System of a Down’s second studio album Toxicity turned into a riot after organizers greatly underestimated the turnout for the hometown metal band. ABC 7 was on the scene to document the police’s shutdown of the event and the fans’ unruly reaction.

AND FINALLY… A poem to pair with your morning coffee: "This Is Bad" by Gottfried Benn, translated from the German by Harvey Shapiro.

Enjoying this newsletter? Forward it to a friend. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. Want to help make this work possible? Upgrade your subscription.