Floyd Mayweather Jr. is facing yet another major legal battle after a new federal lawsuit was filed this week in the the Southern District of New York. Plaintiff CSI Entertainment accused the boxing legend of backing out of exclusive agreements tied to several high-profile comeback fights. The suit was brought by CSI and related companies behind the Fight Sports network. According to the complaint, the companies secured exclusive rights to Mayweather's next bouts and paid him more than $4.5 million in advances to lock in those events, only to have him back out.
The latest lawsuit adds to an increasingly crowded legal calendar for Mayweather. Earlier this year, the former multi-division champion filed two high-profile lawsuits of his own indicating he is running out of money. Those lawsuits claimed Mayweather was the victim of fraud in the amount of $175 million by his former business associates Jona Rechnitz, Ayal Frist and others. The other lawsuit saw Mayweather sue Showtime Networks and executives connected to the network saying they sent his fight payments to accounts over which Mayweather did not control. Separately, Mayweather is currently facing two felony charges in Nevada stemming from allegations that he passed a $200,000 check with insufficient funds to purchase a luxury watch in Las Vegas. Prosecutors have charged him with theft and passing a check with intent to defraud, although the allegations have not been proven and Mayweather has not publicly responded to the criminal case.
At the center of this latest dispute are two blockbuster comeback fights that have generated years of fan speculation: an exhibition fight between Mayweather and Mike Tyson and a "real" professional rematch between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.According to the lawsuit, CSI and Mayweather's representatives reached an agreement in August 2025 for Mayweather to meet Tyson in an exhibition bout. The companies say they later reached another agreement covering Mayweather's first fight after Tyson, which was expected to be a rematch with Pacquiao.
The complaint describes both fights as historic events and says the companies planned to build their future business around them. CSI claims it issued press releases, promoted the events publicly and relied on Mayweather's commitments when investing in the projects. Mayweather, who retired from professional boxing in 2017 with a perfect 50-0 record, has remained active through exhibition bouts. The lawsuit alleges that the Tyson exhibition would have been followed by a return to professional competition against Pacquiao, putting Mayweather's unbeaten record back on the line.
The companies claim that, rather than honoring those agreements, Mayweather pursued other opportunities.As of now, that other opportunity is Mayweather's plan to face Greek kickboxing star Mike Zambidis in Athens next week (June 27th). CSI alleges that its contracts prohibited Mayweather from taking another fight before the Tyson event. The complaint states that after learning of the proposed Zambidis bout, the companies sent cease-and-desist letters to various parties connected with the event and attempted to negotiate a solution. According to the filing, CSI even proposed allowing the Zambidis fight to proceed if the Tyson event happened first and if Fight Sports remained involved in the broadcast. Those efforts ultimately failed.
One allegation involves an agreement with EverWonder Studios and its subsidiary Players Era. According to the complaint, that deal contemplated a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight that would air on Netflix. The lawsuit says CSI eventually negotiated a revised arrangement that would allow the Netflix event while preserving certain branding rights and securing future opportunities.
One of the more unusual allegations concerns a $150,000 payment. CSI says Mayweather requested the installment in cash after completing medical requirements for the Tyson fight. According to the complaint, company executives traveled to California with the money, but Mayweather allegedly did not attend the meeting and instead sent a representative to receive the funds. The companies claim that one day later Mayweather publicly promoted the Zambidis fight.
The lawsuit also states that Tyson later suffered a hand injury, causing the proposed exhibition to be delayed. CSI argues that its agreements allowed the fight to be rescheduled and that Mayweather still could not pursue another bout during that period.
In June 2026, Mayweather's attorneys reportedly sent CSI a notice terminating the relationship. CSI argues that the termination was ineffective because it believes Mayweather had already breached the agreements.
The plaintiffs are asking the court for an injunction that would block Mayweather from proceeding with the June 27 Zambidis fight and require him to honor the Tyson and Pacquiao agreements. They are also seeking damages and, alternatively, repayment of the millions of dollars already advanced.
As of the filing, these are allegations made by CSI and have not been proven in court. Mayweather has not yet filed a response to the complaint.
If the case moves forward, boxing fans could see a courtroom battle over some of the sport's most intriguing potential events. Whether any of the proposed fights ultimately happen remains uncertain, but the lawsuit adds another unexpected chapter to the continuing story of Floyd Mayweather's post-retirement career.
