Manny Pacquiao lost a legal battle with Paradigm Sports over a breach of contract lawsuit, with the jury awarding $5.1 million to Paradigm Sports and at least $2 million in attorney fees.
Manny Pacquiao suffered a significant loss in his legal battle with Paradigm Sports when a jury in Orange County, California ruled in favor of the sports management company regarding a breach of contract lawsuit filed against the legendary boxer. The judgment required Pacquiao to repay $3.3 million as an advance made to him upon signing with Paradigm, in addition to $1.8 million in damages. Moreover, the jury awarded Paradigm Sports $5.1 million and at least $2 million in attorney fees. Pacquiao will pay over $8 million in total as a consequence of losing the lawsuit.
The trial was presided over by Judge Walter P. Schwarm in the Superior Court of California in Orange County. After the ruling, Paradigm CEO Audie Attar stated, “We are elated to learn of the jury’s ruling in Paradigm’s favor in our suit against Manny Pacquiao. The jury plainly found that Pacquiao testified falsely in denying Paradigm’s claims against him, and his excuses for his conduct prove our case that a breach of contract was committed.” Attar expressed his appreciation for the court’s time and the jury’s attention to the case details, adding, “Hopefully, Manny will have learned a lesson from the verdict and will henceforth act with the honesty and integrity that was so lacking in his treatment of Paradigm.”
The lawsuit was first filed in June 2021, after Paradigm Sports, the same agency representing UFC superstar Conor McGregor, claimed that they had been negotiating for Pacquiao to fight four-division boxing champion Mikey Garcia. The agency had signed Pacquiao as a client in February 2020. However, the match fell through due to alleged interference from the boxer’s business associates, such as Sean Gibbons and Winchell Campos. Ultimately, Pacquiao worked with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions and signed for a fight against Errol Spence, which led to the initial lawsuit being filed. As a result, Pacquiao is now responsible for the $5.1 million judgment, attorney fees, and the jury’s ruling that he acted in bad faith.