The legal troubles continue to mount for boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. According to a lawsuit filed Thursday in New York, CSI Sports Events is accusing the undefeated former five-division world champion of breaching an exclusive promotional agreement worth millions of dollars tied to proposed fights against Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao.
The lawsuit seeks more than $4.65 million in repayments and could potentially jeopardize Mayweather’s upcoming exhibition against Greek kickboxing star Michael Zambidis later this month.
CSI Claims Exclusive Promotional Rights
According to court filings, CSI Sports Events alleges it paid Mayweather $4.5 million in advances last year in exchange for exclusive rights to promote his future boxing events.
The agreement reportedly centered around two major attractions:
- An exhibition bout against Mike Tyson
- A professional rematch against Manny Pacquiao
The lawsuit claims CSI later paid Mayweather an additional $150,000 advance before learning he had agreed to participate in a separate exhibition against Greek kickboxing champion Michael Zambidis on June 27 in Athens, Greece.
CSI argues that agreement violated the exclusivity terms of its contract.
Tyson Fight at Center of Dispute
The lawsuit reveals that Mayweather was set to earn $14 million for the Tyson exhibition. CSI reportedly already paid $2 million upfront toward that event.
Although the fight was initially discussed for Spring 2026 and reportedly targeted for the Democratic Republic of Congo, no official date or venue was ever announced. According to the complaint, the contract prohibited Mayweather from participating in other boxing events before fulfilling his Tyson obligation.
The only exception would have been if Tyson remained unavailable beyond Nov. 30. While Tyson reportedly suffered a hand injury that delayed plans for the exhibition, CSI claims he remained willing to reschedule within the next six months.
Pacquiao Rematch Creates Additional Complications
The lawsuit also details a far more lucrative agreement involving a rematch between Mayweather and Pacquiao.
Under the contract, Mayweather was reportedly guaranteed:
- $35 million plus 20 percent of pay-per-view revenue
- Or $50 million if the event was not distributed via pay-per-view
CSI says it paid Mayweather a $2.5 million advance for the fight.
The dispute escalated when Mayweather allegedly entered into a separate agreement with production company EverWonder for a Pacquiao rematch to be distributed by Netflix.
That deal reportedly included:
- $24.75 million guaranteed purse
- Potential $3.75 million bonus
- $2.75 million advance payment
Netflix later announced plans for a Sept. 19 rematch between Mayweather and Pacquiao at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
