Manny Pacquiao Sued By Paradigm

Over the weekend, the management firm representing Conor McGregor got the ball rolling on a lawsuit involving Manny Pacquiao.

In a report by ESPN and 1st by The Athletic, Paradigm Sports Management filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit Friday against Pacquiao in Orange County civil court, claiming breach of contract (among other assertions) per the complaint obtained Saturday by ESPN.  Paradigm claims it had exclusive rights to negotiate Pacquiao’s next two fights, and his upcoming bout with Errol Spence Jr. was brokered behind the firm’s back.

Paradigm says it paid Pacquiao a $3.3 million contractual advance that he has refused to return.

Anyone reading that “exclusive rights” for Pacquiao line needs to be reminded that Pacquiao had a two-fight deal with Premier Boxing Champions with an option, that latter fight being the upcoming matchup against Errol Spence Jr. on FOX PPV for August 21st in Las Vegas. This injunction is trying to prevent that fight from happening.

So, how did we get to this?

The big news last year was that it was reported that Pacquiao signed with Paradigm an exclusive deal. The complaint states that since then, Pacquiao associates undermined the exclusive partnership, working on boxing deals outside of Paradigm’s purview beginning almost immediately after the contract was signed — and Pacquiao never publicly denounced the behavior.

The complaint also claims that Pacquiao was negotiating on his own behalf behind Paradigm’s back with a Middle Eastern prince.

Ah, the old “Middle East money chase.”

Paradigm says it was able to negotiate a $25 million fight purse for Pacquiao for a bout with former Jr. Welterweight World champ Mikey Garcia that would have taken place May 15, 2021, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Pacquiao was to receive a $5 million purse advance. That deal fell apart after Pacquiao attempted to make that $5 million advance a guarantee, even if he did not compete, per the complaint.

“Pacquiao knew full well that Paradigm had exclusive rights to schedule his next two immediate fights,” Paradigm attorney Judd Burstein wrote in the complaint. “Nevertheless, in bad faith and material breach of the parties’ contracts, Pacquiao, upon information and belief, had surreptitiously entered into a contract to fight Spence.”

So, the now gone video of Garcia talking in a ride with a female reporter about the fight happening proves it was in the works per the lawsuit. That is, until the money fell out.

And, that is the stance that Pacquiao’s attorney, Dale Kinsella, is taking.

“Had Manny Pacquiao known that Paradigm Sports appears to have had no intention of fulfilling its contractual obligations, he never would have entered into any relationship with them,” Kinsella said in the statement to ESPN. “Should this matter actually proceed beyond Friday’s filing in a court of law, Mr. Pacquiao will vigorously defend this action, assert his own claims against Paradigm Sports, and seek to recover his attorney’s fees as well.”

So, while both sides settle this squabble, we’ll see if this does anything hinder the upcoming August Pacquiao-Spence contest slated for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“It’s just extraordinary to me that someone can receive $3.3 million from my client and then forget about the reason why that money was given to him,” Burstein said. … “We’re [seeking] in the significant millions of dollars. Certainly high sevens or eights, to be sure.”

Cue “The People Court” music.