Inside the ring, boxing’s lone 8-division champion is renowned for stalking his opponents patiently. He shows similar restraint outside as well. His recent comments reflect that same calculated approach. Manny Pacquiao wants Floyd Mayweather to stay committed to their fight. Recent developments have put the matchup against the 50-0 star, scheduled at Las Vegas Sphere in September, in doubt.

That uncertainty stems largely from Mayweather’s remarks suggesting the fight could be an exhibition rather than a professional bout. The duo last met 11 years ago. Though a dull affair, the fight billed as the “Fight of the Century” was a major commercial success. Talks of a rematch lingered; however, they produced no outcome. Interest picked up after Mayweather announced a comeback from retirement this February. His latest comments, however, have again cast doubt over the card. Manny Pacquiao believes there is still time for Mayweather to make a decision. Speaking with a reporter, he addressed the situation.

“Right now, my focus is on September 19 because we already both signed the contract, a real fight,” he said. “So, that’s my focus. I don’t want to be distracted with anything like that because I know I want to prepare. I want to get the 100% uh condition and, uh, mentally, physically, and spiritually.”

The reporter then pressed further, asking Pacquiao if he felt that Floyd Mayweather was up to his usual antics – hyping fights with brazen remarks. Though the question drew a smile from the Filipino icon, his response reflected the strain of uncertainty.

“I mean, what’s new for Mayweather? Even in our first fight, like, it’s getting hard. He’s changing his mind, you know,” Pacquiao said. “That’s not good. I mean, you need to have word of honor and commitment, you know, to honor your commitment.”

From Pacquiao’s standpoint, the message remains unchanged. He wants a real fight.

Are things getting complicated for Floyd Mayweather?

“He proposed an exhibition a long time ago, a year after our first fight. I didn’t agree to it,” he said at a recent presser. “I want a real fight. He signed a real fight, I signed a real fight, he’s got his advance, so there’s no reason to make excuses.”

That stance also shifts attention to the contract. Pacquiao’s statement, particularly the part addressing the nature of the matchup and the payout, suggests the agreement remains binding on Mayweather. According to his team, the fight with Mayweather is still on. At the same time, he could be liable for breach in failing to honor the contract, which reportedly includes an exchange of money.

“Floyd Mayweather is officially in breach of his contract. He’s been in a breach since the day he went out and said what he said on Saturday, and he’s officially in a breach as of yesterday,” Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, told ESPN. “Floyd Mayweather signed not one, not two, but three different agreements on three different dates with two different parties that ultimately got intertwined in the month of January.

“And this is all related to his return to professional boxing. First one was on October 24th. The second one was on November 6th. Third one was on December 14th. He received money for all three agreements when he signed them. Not only that, but he’s also taken out an advance on his purse for his fight against Pacquiao.”

The situation also stands in contrast to how long their first fight took to materialize. It reportedly took 5 to 6 years before Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather stepped into the ring on May 2, 2015. That timeline makes the current uncertainty harder to explain, especially when, apart from the legacies and the purse, there is not much at stake for the two aging icons.