Manny Pacquiao's demand for a $40million purse to fight Terence Crawford looks set to fall on deaf ears.
The eight-division world champion has held talks over a clash with the unbeaten welterweight ruler - but wanted a huge pay-day.
He now looks set to face Mikey Garcia in a fight which was originally scheduled to take place last summer.
Pacquiao, 42, has not fought since July 2019 when he outpointed Keith Thurman while Garcia was in action 12 months ago when he beat Jessie Vargas.
And while the Filipino has not ruled out Crawford, he confirmed Garcia is the frontrunner.
"We're leaning towards Mikey Garcia, but we're also talking to Crawford. It depends on who I get to face, what’s important is I’m ready," Pacquiao told ABS-CBN.
"We never really got complacent, we've always continuously worked out. We keep on playing basketball aside from boxing. Actually, right after my fight the last time with [Keith] Thurman, I didn't work out boxing, but I kept playing basketball."
Pacquiao made his demand for $40m (£30m) in February after he show a potential fight with Conor McGregor fall through.
Talks with the Irishman had reached an advanced stage before McGregor was knocked out by Dustin Poirier in their January rematch.
Pacquiao then said: I like to fight somebody who has a title. We told Bob [Arum] I get $40m and Crawford gets $10m.
"I will fight anybody. You know me, I don’t back away from any challenge."
Crawford is widely considered to be ranked No.2 behind Canelo Alvarez in the mythical pound-for-pound list.
But he has struggled to attract marque names to the opposite corner and is yet to fight fellow unbeaten 147lb champion Errol Spence.
And promoter Arum revealed recently that Crawford could fight Shawn Porter is a deal can't be struck with Pacquiao.
"The Pacquiao group is working with people in the Middle East, who are real people and that are going to finance this," he said.
"If they come up with the money and finance this fight, then we’ll do the fight in this country in the Middle East.
"Top Rank would be used by the country to work all the details of the promotion and all that type of thing, but the people in the country would be the actual promoters of the fight, and it would be a big opportunity for Terence Crawford to fight Manny Pacquiao.
"If that doesn’t come to fruition, then I will continue my talks with Shawn Porter and hope to do Terence against Shawn Porter."
