TLDR
- Floyd Mayweather filed a $340 million lawsuit against Showtime and former executive Stephen Espinoza
- The suit alleges money from his biggest fights was diverted to accounts controlled by advisor Al Haymon
- Mayweather specifically cites his record-breaking fights against Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor
- Showtime allegedly refused to provide financial records, claiming they were lost in a flood
- Al Haymon is not named as a defendant despite allegations he received the misappropriated funds
Sources: BoxingScene | World Boxing News | KIRO 7
Floyd Mayweather has filed a lawsuit against Showtime and former Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza, seeking at least $340 million he claims was misappropriated from his career earnings. The lawsuit was filed in California and includes charges of aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, civil conspiracy to commit fraud, conversion, and unjust enrichment.
The undefeated boxing legend alleges that money from some of the biggest pay-per-view events in boxing history never made it to his bank account. Instead, Mayweather claims the funds were diverted to accounts controlled by his longtime advisor Al Haymon.
Showtime Accused of Aiding Financial Scheme
According to the lawsuit, Showtime and Espinoza allegedly sent payments that should have gone to Mayweather directly to Haymon instead. The complaint specifically mentions his blockbuster fights against Manny Pacquiao in May 2015 and Conor McGregor in August 2017 as examples of events where his compensation did not match the massive revenue generated.
The Mayweather-Pacquiao fight remains the highest-grossing event in boxing history across all metrics, including live gate, pay-per-view revenue, and units sold. The McGregor fight in 2017 ranks second only to the Pacquiao bout in terms of financial success.
Mayweather’s attorney, Bobby Samini, told TMZ Sports that his client “generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for Showtime.” He added that Mayweather “will go the distance in the courtroom just as he has in the ring.”
The lawsuit claims that when Mayweather’s new management team later requested to see Showtime’s financial records, the network said the documents were either “lost in a flood” or were not accessible. This alleged refusal to provide documentation forms part of the fraud allegations.
Al Haymon Not Named in Lawsuit
Despite allegations that Haymon misappropriated the funds, the advisor is not listed as a defendant in the lawsuit. Mayweather worked with Haymon for over a decade during the peak of his boxing career.
Mayweather began his partnership with Showtime in 2013 after years of fighting on HBO. His six-fight deal with Showtime included some of his most profitable bouts, starting with his 2013 victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
That fight set records for the biggest live gate in Nevada history and generated the second-most pay-per-view buys at the time. Mayweather retired in September 2015 after defeating Andre Berto, achieving a perfect 49-0 record.
He came out of retirement two years later for the McGregor fight, which pushed his record to 50-0. Mayweather has previously claimed to be boxing’s first self-made billionaire, but the lawsuit suggests that status was based on income he never actually received.
Showtime exited the boxing business entirely in 2023. The network no longer exists as a standalone platform and has been merged into the Paramount+ streaming app.
As of publication, Showtime and Espinoza have not responded to the lawsuit. Mayweather is seeking the $340 million in alleged missing funds plus punitive damages.
