Clouds of confusion continue to loom over Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao II. The fate of the much-anticipated rematch between the two aging, out-of-retirement icons hangs in the balance. Much depends on Mayweather. The fight remains in play but now faces a new cut-off date set by Netflix while still awaiting a nod from the 50-0 star.

Early this week, Manny Pacquiao and Jas Mathur, the CEO of his promotions, revealed the rematch needs to be finalized by the end of business Tuesday. That update added another layer to the situation surrounding the September fight after Floyd Mayweather said it was an exhibition and not a real bout. That directly contradicted earlier reports suggesting the Netflix event would serve as a professional sequel to their 2015 ‘Fight of the Century.’ Mathur later provided an update on the Netflix deadline to The Ring magazine.

“Manny hasn’t made any official statement about the status of the fight against Floyd; rather, it’s a signed professional bout and hasn’t been canceled,” he’s reported to have said. “People need to stop spreading rumors and/or fabricating stories.

“We’re finalizing a few details with Floyd’s team and waiting on their counsel to respond. The Netflix deadline is approaching, and Floyd’s management team knows what they need to do.”

Pressure on the deal intensified after Pacquiao and Mathur’s appearance on the Inside the Ring podcast, where they spoke with Max Kellerman and Mike Coppinger. They confirmed the two sides need to reach an agreement by EOD April 14. Failure to reach an agreement could lead to legal action.

While Mathur expressed hope that things may not escalate too far, Pacquiao took a more pragmatic fighter’s approach.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao: Chaos around the comeback fight

“That’s not what we signed. We signed for a real fight. He got his advance. “Why is he announcing this propaganda exhibition?” he said. “For me, he cannot get out of his contract because he is going to face a lot of consequences if he doesn’t fight and fails his commitment. I think he’s scared of losing. That’s his leverage, to go around and have exhibitions because of his undefeated record. If that record will be ruined, what else will he be able to leverage?”

Just when the situation appeared to settle, the storyline shifted again. Yesterday, BoxingScene reported that Pacquiao had texted them saying, “The fight is on.”

But that momentum didn’t last long. The claim was quickly shut down when Mayweather responded, dismissing Pacquiao’s statement.

“This is not true!” He reportedly wrote. “Fight Hype will be the first to know after everything is worked out.”

However, as of the time of writing, there has been no official announcement on whether the fight is on or if it’s over for good. With both sides trading conflicting claims, the narrative around the two boxing legends in their 40s has now shifted firmly into a negotiation battle rather than an in-ring discussion. Looking back, the storyline of their first fight on May 2, 2015, centered heavily on the financial windfall.

With 4.6 million pay-per-view buys, the fight billed as the “Fight of the Century” became the richest in history. The bout, however, failed to meet expectations, as a cautious, tactical exchange saw Mayweather secure a unanimous victory.

Pacquiao, 47, now wants to set things right with the rematch. Though active in the exhibition circuit, Mayweather hasn’t fought professionally since his 2017 bout with Conor McGregor. Pacquiao believes Mayweather is intent on protecting his unbeaten record and avoiding any risk to it.

That remains the central tension in the negotiations. Even an exhibition fight preserves his professional record, a detail clearly important to him. But as the clock ticks and Netflix tightens its deadline, Mayweather now faces a decision that could define whether the rematch ever moves beyond speculation.