Floyd Mayweather has filed a lawsuit in California accusing Showtime and former Showtime Sports activities president Stephen Espinoza of serving to to facilitate the alleged misappropriation of $340 million from his profession earnings. The 50-0 boxing legend claims his longtime adviser Al Haymon orchestrated an elaborate monetary fraud scheme with assistance from the community and its govt, although Haymon himself isn’t named as a defendant within the swimsuit.
Boxing Legend Floyd Mayweather Accuses Showtime of $340 Million Financial Fraud Scheme
The lawsuit, filed this week and obtained by TMZ Sports, alleges that regardless of incomes over $1 billion throughout his 21-year profession, Mayweather by no means acquired lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} that had been owed to him. In keeping with the grievance, Showtime and Espinoza allegedly funneled funds meant for Mayweather straight into accounts managed by Haymon throughout a number of of the boxer’s marquee fights, together with his 2015 bout towards Manny Pacquiao and his 2017 crossover struggle with Conor McGregor.
Mayweather‘s authorized workforce claims the fraud continued for over a decade whereas the fighter labored with Haymon from 2006 onwards. The partnership had been thought of massively profitable, with Haymon serving to Mayweather safe a six-fight take care of Showtime in 2013 that was value over $200 million and described on the time because the richest particular person athlete contract in sports activities historical past.
The lawsuit gained momentum after Mayweather switched management teams in 2024, bringing in former Golden Boy Promotions president Richard Schaefer to replace his longtime business partner Leonard Ellerbe as CEO of Mayweather Promotions. When Schaefer’s team requested financial records and accounting documents related to the Pacquiao and McGregor fights from Showtime, they were allegedly told the materials were either lost in a flood, stored off-site, or otherwise inaccessible.
These two fights represent the biggest pay-per-view events in combat sports history. The Mayweather-Pacquiao bout generated 4.6 million domestic pay-per-view buys and over $600 million in total revenue, while the McGregor fight produced 4.3 million buys and more than $600 million. Under Mayweather’s deal with Showtime, the boxer received 50 percent of all pay-per-view revenue in addition to his guaranteed purse for each fight.
Mayweather is seeking damages for aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, civil conspiracy to commit fraud, conversion, and unjust enrichment. Beyond the $340 million in allegedly missing funds, the complaint also demands punitive damages. The suit notes that Mayweather is still owed approximately $20 million from his final Showtime fight against Andre Berto in 2015.
Bobby Samini, the Costa Mesa attorney representing Mayweather through his firm Samini Block, issued a statement expressing confidence in the case. “Floyd is one of boxing’s biggest pay-per-view draws. He generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for Showtime,” Samini said. “Mr. Mayweather now takes this fight to the courtroom to recover what he rightfully earned. Retiring undefeated at 50-0, Mr. Mayweather will go the distance in the courtroom just as he has in the ring.”
Showtime Sports, which had been a fixture in boxing since 1986, was shut down by parent company Paramount Global at the end of 2023. Espinoza, who led Showtime Sports from 2011 until its closure, was instrumental in signing Mayweather to the network and played a key role in arranging the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. Neither Showtime nor Espinoza has publicly responded to the allegations.
