An exhibition fight between former welterweight boxing champion Floyd Mayweather and Mike Zambidis that was scheduled for this Saturday in Athens, Greece, has been called off.
According to federal court records obtained by USA TODAY and filed in the Southern District of New York, promotion company CSI Sports Events sued the 49-year-old Mayweather last week, claiming it paid him $4.65 million to exclusively promote fights with Manny Pacquiao and Mike Tyson, and that he breached his contract by agreeing to the fight with Zambidis. The company also filed a petition for an emergency injunction to stop the fight.
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The payments came last year, with an initial payment of $4.5 million and an additional $150,000. According to the lawsuit, Mayweather announced the fight with Zambidis, an 18-time world kickboxing champion, the day prior.
“Because Plaintiffs’ Motion remains pending without a ruling, the Mayweather-Zambidis event will no longer proceed in Athens, Greece as planned on Saturday evening,” attorney Melissa Glass wrote in a letter to the court. “Plaintiffs’ commencement of this action and filing of the Motion, as well as their legal threats domestically and in Greece, have effectively stopped any promotion or distribution plans for the event and halted ticket sales.”
Glass said in the filing that the fight doesn’t have a broadcaster attached.
Front Row CEO Keane Anis, who was also the fight’s promoter, said in the same court filing that his company “has spent or irrevocably committed approximately $7 million in connection with the Event, including for the Las Vegas press conference, production, marketing, advertising, travel, hotels, security, staffing, equipment, venue-related matters, insurance, licensing and governmental fees, and other event expenses.”
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Anis further says that the cancellation has “caused substantial practical, contractual, commercial, and reputational harm to Front Row and numerous third parties.”
“Finally, I request that Your Honor require only a nominal bond, as the TRO will not be the cause of Mayweather not going forward with the Zambidis Fight on Saturday,” Glass wrote. “To the extent that Mayweather claims that CSI should be held liable in connection with the cancellation of the Zambidis Fight, that would be a claim against CSI for damages that he would be required to prove.”
Why was the Floyd Mayweather fight canceled?
“Due to the fluid situation on the ground in Athens and significant damage to the commercial viability of the event, and given the time difference and imminence of its scheduled start time on June 27, the difficult decision was made to cancel the June 27 exhibition fight. Depending on the Court’s ruling, the event may be rescheduled for a later date,’’ Glass’ statement continues.
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CSI Entertainment sued Mayweather earlier this month. In addition to CSI’s attempt to keep Mayweather from fighting Zambidis, the lawsuit seeks monetary damages.
According to CSI, Mayweather breached the contracts, which included Mayweather agreeing to the fight in Greece.
Whether the fight would take place previously rested in the hands of U.S. District Court Judge Vernon S. Broderick in New York.
Broderick, after presiding over a two-hour hearing conducted by phone on Wednesday, June 24, said he would rule Thursday on a motion for a temporary restraining order filed by CSI Entertainment, which is trying to keep Mayweather from fighting.
The fight is instead now off as the motion “remains pending without a ruling.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Mayweather vs. Zambidis fight was called off
