Boxing icon Floyd Mayweather Jr. is currently facing a civil lawsuit filed by CSI Entertainment. The company alleges that Mayweather breached multi-million-dollar promotional agreements that were specifically linked to high-profile exhibition matches featuring Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao. This news was initially reported by TMZ.
Court documents, revealed on Thursday, indicate that CSI Entertainment claims to have made advance payments totaling approximately $4.65 million. These payments were intended to secure exclusive promotional rights for two major events: an exhibition bout between Mayweather and Tyson, and a subsequent rematch with Pacquiao. CSI asserts that these agreements were subsequently compromised when Mayweather proceeded with alternative arrangements without their inclusion.
CSI states that it initially transferred $4.5 million to Frist Apex Ventures, Mayweather’s management entity. An additional $150,000 was paid shortly before Mayweather announced a separate exhibition fight against kickboxing veteran Mike Zambidis. The promoter contends that this conflicting agreement violated the exclusivity clauses, which stipulated that Mayweather must first fulfill his obligations pertaining to the Tyson matchup.
The lawsuit further alleges that Mayweather entered into separate promotional and streaming agreements for the Pacquiao rematch. These reportedly included arrangements with another production partner and a planned distribution deal, which CSI claims circumvented their contractual entitlements.
CSI is now seeking to recoup the advance payments it made. Additionally, the company is requesting the court to issue an injunction to halt Mayweather’s scheduled exhibition fight against Zambidis on June 27 in Athens, arguing that proceeding with this bout would constitute a further violation of their existing agreement.
This legal filing adds to the increasing number of disputes surrounding Mayweather’s recent exhibition boxing endeavors. These ventures have been increasingly marked by overlapping promotional claims, shifting opponent arrangements, and competing broadcast partnerships.
As of Thursday evening, Mayweather had not issued a public statement regarding the lawsuit.
