Manny Pacquiao has reportedly been sued by Paradigm Sports manager Audie Attar for fighting Errol Spence Jr. instead of Mikey Garcia.
Eight-time boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is slated to face Errol Spence Jr. on Aug. 21 in Las Vegas, but a recent lawsuit filed by Paradigm Sports manager Audie Attar may foil those plans.
The lawsuit, as first reported by The Athletic, claims Pacquiao was veered away from a fight with Mikey Garcia by his advisors Sean Gibbons and Winchell Campos to a Premier Boxing Champions event with Spence. Attar and Paradigm Sports were reportedly close to negotiating Pacquiao’s return bout to be against Garcia before those plans were interfered with.
Paradigm also alleges that Pacquiao wasn’t obligated to return to boxing unless it was going to be a rematch with Floyd Mayweather. Paradigm attorney Judd Burstein roasted Pacquiao and accused him of hurting the Paradigm brand and impacting its stance in boxing economically.
“In addition to the millions of dollars in a straightforward economic loss that Paradigm stands to suffer, the damage to its reputation resulting from Pacquiao’s breaches is incalculable,” Burstein said in the lawsuit.
“Just when Paradigm was at the cusp of establishing itself as a major player in professional boxing, Pacquiao has left its reputation as a boxing representative in tatters.”
Paradigm is seeking a $3.3 million advance and is also in the process of formulating a legal plan to stop the upcoming Pacquiao vs. Spence boxing event from happening.
The lawsuit comes ahead of Manny Pacquiao’s planned return to boxing
Pacquiao hasn’t fought in the boxing ring since his split decision win over Keith Thurman in July 2019 to claim the WBA super welterweight title. Before that, he had earned wins over Adrien Broner and Lucas Matthysse to get back on track in his boxing career since his controversial loss to Jeff Horn.
Pacquiao has been signed with Al Haymon’s PBC since 2018 and has also been involved with Paradigm since last year. He was rumored to fight UFC star Conor McGregor in his return to the boxing ring, but contract negotiations between the two sides never materialized.
The lawsuit between Paradigm and Pacquiao is surely concerning for the future of the Pacquiao vs. Spence boxing match and leaves Pacquiao’s scheduled return to the sport in question.