Fans demand refund from the Floyd Mayweather - Manny Pacquiao match
On what was hyped as the ‘Fight of the Century’, the Floyd Mayweather – Manny Pacquiao tussle turned out to be a dud with the American winning after a unanimous decision.
Boxing fans and lawyers are calling the fight a fraud and are demanding their money back. There was a huge uproar in the media when Pacquiao revealed that he had shoulder injury prior to the fight.
As many as 32 lawsuits have been filed against the Filipino boxer for not divulging any details about his injury.
"The fight was not great, not entertaining, not electrifying. It was boring, slow and lackluster," according to a lawsuit filed in Texas. It was one of the most watched events in recent sporting history with HBO and Showtime raking in more than 400 million from 4.4 million viewers who paid to watch the pay-per-view broadcast.
The judges are currently contemplating whether to combine cases from all states and Puerto Rico.
A jury trial and at least $5 million in damages is the threshold for federal class actions.
A Nevada Athletic Commission medical questionnaire is the Exhibit A for most of the lawsuits. Pacquiao had categorically denied any injury days before the fight. A few of the lawsuits hint at the possible presence of Mayweather’s spy in Pacquiao’s camp.
Meanwhile, legal experts are unsure about fans winning this case. They'd have more lawsuits if they didn't hold the fight," said Maureen Weston, director of Pepperdine University's entertainment, media and sports dispute resolution project.
She also added that if the fans didn’t like the fight, there is no written rule that says their money should be returned. The fans had contracts with cable companies who in turn had contracts with HBO and Showtime.