Legal Battles Following the 2015 Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight
The organizers of the much-anticipated 2015 boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao may deserve financial recompense.
The “Fight of the Century” held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas—victoriously concluded by Mayweather—shattered records with 4.6 million pay-per-view purchases and generated $72 million in ticket sales.
Even after both boxers have entered temporary retirement, disputes over the financial windfall have persisted. For over ten years, legal representatives and judges have worked to ascertain the claims of various parties, particularly concerning any reputational harm suffered by Pacquiao.
However, retirement seems distant as the two boxers prepare for a rematch scheduled for September 19 at the Las Vegas Sphere, set to be streamed live on Netflix. At ages 49 and 47 respectively, Mayweather and Pacquiao are driven by the allure of another substantial payday.
New Legal Allegations Against Pacquiao
The latest legal development involves Pacquiao’s recent filing in Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing prominent law firms and a former restaurant server of attempting to extort millions by fabricating a verbal agreement and falsely claiming he had sent threatening texts featuring gruesome images.
Gabriel Rueda, a former waiter at Craig’s restaurant, previously sued Pacquiao, alleging he was entitled to an $8.6 million finder’s fee for linking Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, with then-CBS president Leslie Moonves to orchestrate the 2015 showdown.
Rueda sought $42 million in damages, while former boxer Richie Palmer, who’s connected to Roach, testified that Rueda had promised him half of the finder’s fee. A judge eventually ruled in favor of Pacquiao in 2024, dismissing Rueda’s case, effectively nullifying Palmer’s claim as well.
Counterclaims and Allegations of Malicious Prosecution
In response, Pacquiao has launched a malicious prosecution lawsuit against Rueda, the involved law offices, and the now-closed Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht. He asserts that he never agreed to any payments regarding the alleged introduction between Roach and Moonves.
Pacquiao’s legal team discovered a letter from Rueda, which stated he “asked for nothing in return,” for the introduction, contradicting Rueda’s claims. The lawsuit indicates that Rueda hid this evidence, ignoring court orders for full disclosure.
Additionally, the threatening text messages Rueda claimed to have received were proven to be part of a drug cartel scam, a revelation that led to the retraction of his sensational claims.
Looking Ahead
Pacquiao’s lawsuit outlines what his attorneys deem “an egregious abuse of the civil justice system.” They highlight the financial burdens incurred by Pacquiao in his efforts to clear his name. Meanwhile, as Pacquiao prepares for his rematch against Mayweather, which previously yielded considerable earnings for both fighters, the ongoing legal proceedings are expected to continue to unfold.
