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Essentials Inside The Story

  • Floyd Mayweather's lawsuit against Showtime explained
  • 'Money' leaves out one prominent figure in his lawsuit
  • What does this mean for Mayweather's fighting future?

Remember how Floyd Mayweather made over a billion dollars throughout his decorated boxing career? Well, the finances may no longer be as strong as they seemed just a while ago. Why? The undefeated legend of the sport has reportedly sued his former broadcasting partner, Showtime, along with its former president, Stephen Espinoza.

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According to a report from TMZ Sports, ‘Money’ Mayweather has filed the lawsuit in the state of California, alleging that Espinoza—and Showtime more broadly—engaged in aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, civil conspiracy to commit fraud, conversion, and unjust enrichment.

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Floyd Mayweather refuses to sue one man

The retired boxer seeks to recover at least $340 million, which he claims was misappropriated. But that’s not all. He is also seeking punitive damages from the suit. His attorney, Bobby Samini, told TMZ Sports that Mayweather is ready for what’s to come on the courtroom floor. “Floyd is one of boxing’s biggest pay-per-view draws,” Samini said.

“He generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for Showtime. Mr. Mayweather now takes this fight to the courtroom to recover what he rightfully earned,” he added. “Retiring undefeated at 50-0, Mr. Mayweather will go the distance in the courtroom just as he has in the ring.” So, this begs the question: What money is Floyd Mayweather talking about?

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According to court documents, Showtime and Espinoza distributed money to Mayweather’s longtime advisor, Al Haymon, which should have been given to him. The former champion highlighted his blockbuster fights against Manny Pacquiao in 2015 and Conor McGregor in 2017, where the compensation he was paid paled in comparison to the revenue he helped generate for the platform.

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You may think Mayweather would also sue Haymon, his former manager and head of PBC, right? But his suit doesn’t include the PBC head honcho. ‘Money’ started working with Showtime back in 2013, having previously fought on HBO. His contract with Showtime had a total of six fights, and after a mere two fights with them, Mayweather set new financial records.

In September 2013, Mayweather’s victory over Canelo Alvarez headlined a Showtime PPV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, recording the biggest live gate in Nevada history at the time. Not only that, it generated massive revenue, selling the second-most PPV units ever. He went on to surpass that feat in 2015 when he defeated Manny Pacquiao.

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The bout was a joint pay-per-view venture between Showtime and HBO and remains the biggest PPV event in every respect—live gate, PPV revenue, units sold, sponsorship deals, and ticket sales. Mayweather then briefly retired, only to return and defeat Andre Berto. Just two years later, he faced Conor McGregor in a blockbuster crossover boxing match.

His win over McGregor ranked second only to Mayweather–Pacquiao in terms of live gate, PPVs sold, and PPV revenue generated. In 2023, Showtime exited the sport of boxing and has since transitioned into the Paramount+ platform. Regardless, while Mayweather’s lawsuit made headlines, his next fight appears to have been leaked. 

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Floyd Mayweather to face K-1 legend in boxing match

Prior reports had revealed that the undefeated Hall of Famer was facing heavyweight legend Mike Tyson in an exhibition boxing match in March in Africa. From the looks of things, that fight is still on track for later this year, but new reports reveal Mayweather has other fights booked as well.

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According to IFN on X, “Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather (50-0) will be fighting K-1 legend Mike Zambidis June 27th 2026, in Greece!” The 45-year-old Zambidis from Greece competed mainly at K-1 MAX as a kickboxer and retired from the sport in June 2015. He appears to have had a boxing match in 2019, but has remained inactive professionally. 

Known to his fans as ‘Iron’ Zambidis, he was an 18-time world champion across various organizations. While his exact record is difficult to pinpoint, some sources say it’s between 157 and 181 fights with relatively low losses. Mayweather, on the other hand, has a record of 50-0 in professional boxing. And he has remained active with exhibition fights after his retirement. 

It appears Floyd Mayweather is still looking to cash in on the fight game. And given that he was never paid millions by Showtime, it makes sense why he continues to step into the ring at 48. Do you think he’s finally getting his money back?

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Written by

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Sudeep Sinha

4,151 Articles

Sudeep Sinha is a Senior Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports with over two years of experience covering the science at the ES RingSide Desk. Known for sharp fight-night coverage and detailed analysis, Sudeep has become one of the desk’s leading boxing minds. His work has been featured on major platforms such as Sports Illustrated, Daily Mail, and Yahoo Sports, where he covers everything from amateur boxing developments to high-profile controversies like Ryan Garcia career arc. Sudeep balances his professional writing career with a personal passion for reading, cycling, and lively debates about boxing match-ups and trends on social media. He takes pride in delivering engaging stories that resonate with both hardcore boxing enthusiasts and casual fans alike, providing clear insights into fighter strategies, training, and the evolving dynamics of the sport.

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Gokul Pillai

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