The long-awaited second meeting between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao has been postponed indefinitely, the Filipino’s camp confirmed on Friday, blaming a “volatile mix of federal lawsuits, scheduling overbooks, and financial gridlock” surrounding Mayweather’s team. The announcement came hours after an American events company, CSI, obtained an injunction that also scuttled Mayweather’s planned exhibition against Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis in Athens. CSI is suing Mayweather to recover at least $4.65 million it says it paid for exclusive promotional rights to the Pacquiao rematch and a shelved exhibition with Mike Tyson. Viewed from Manila, the earliest a sanctioned fight could now take place is early 2027, though the Pacquiao statement noted that if Mayweather and CSI settle out of court, promoters would immediately pivot to rescheduling a Mayweather-Tyson exhibition for September 12.

Across the Atlantic, the heavyweight division faces its own contractual turbulence. Promoters in London insist that an all-British showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury remains contractually bound for the United Kingdom this year, despite speculation that Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh may seek to move the contest to Las Vegas. Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, said no formal request had been received, but acknowledged that any change would require renegotiation of terms. He also dismissed claims by UFC president Dana White that his Zuffa Boxing would promote the event, stating that the existing contract gives Zuffa no role unless Joshua’s side agrees to alter it. The fight hinges on both men winning interim bouts: Joshua faces Kristian Prenga on July 25, while Fury is expected to fight on August 1.

In Germany, the heavyweight picture darkened further when Bild reported that Oleksandr Usyk has no intention of facing mandatory WBC challenger Agit Kabayel. The WBC ordered the bout in early June, but Kabayel’s manager said there had been no serious negotiations from Usyk’s camp, adding that the Ukrainian appeared to have “no desire for a hard day’s work with Agit in the ring.” Usyk’s team is instead weighing a contract with Zuffa Boxing or even immediate retirement. Should Usyk formally decline the mandatory, the WBC could strip him of the title, potentially elevating interim champion Kabayel to full world champion—a status no German heavyweight has held since Max Schmeling in 1932—or ordering a fight for the vacant belt.

From the Dagestani camp, Islam Makhachev offered a candid assessment of why his cousin Usman Nurmagomedov, the undefeated PFL lightweight champion, may delay a move to the UFC. Makhachev told Russian media that while Nurmagomedov needs tougher competition to fulfil his potential, the financial calculus is stark: “In the PFL, they pay much more. The UFC doesn’t like to pay that much.” He estimated that Nurmagomedov would earn only half his current purse if he signed with the UFC now, and suggested completing one more PFL contract—three fights—would not harm his long-term prospects. Nurmagomedov’s current deal expires after his July 31 title defence against Archie Colgan in New York.

Taken together, the week’s developments underscore a sport in which even the most bankable match-ups are held hostage by litigation, rival promotional interests, and purse disputes. The Mayweather-Pacquiao sequel, once billed as the richest fight in history, now drifts without a date. The Fury-Joshua contract remains intact but vulnerable to the demands of its paymaster. Usyk’s next move could vacate a belt and reshape the heavyweight lineage. And one of the sport’s brightest talents outside the UFC may choose financial security over a steeper competitive climb. For now, the only certainty is that boxing’s marquee calendar remains a puzzle of unsigned contracts and unresolved grievances.