Manny Pacquiao is set to fight Errol Spence Jr on Aug. 21 in a PBC/FOX pay-per-view main event from Las Vegas, but maybe not if Paradigm Sports have anything to say about it.
The Athletic’s Lance Pugmire reports that Paradigm are suing Pacquiao for damages including a $3.3 million advance, alleging he breached an agreement with the company, as they were reportedly under the impression Pacquiao was about to sign a deal with Mikey Garcia — which Paradigm had negotiated — when he signed to fight Spence instead. They also have requested an injunction to stop Pacquiao-Spence from happening as advertised.
Pacquiao, who hasn’t fought since a summer 2019 win over Keith Thurman, reportedly did sign a deal with Paradigm in Feb. 2020, and eight months later Pacquiao himself said he’d signed a new agreement with them, as the two sides were looking to put together a fight between Pacquiao and Conor McGregor. Paradigm represent McGregor.
The Pacquiao-McGregor idea went up in smoke in January of this year when McGregor was beaten in UFC by Dustin Poirier, and Mikey Garcia stated in March that he had deal close to finalized to fight Pacquiao.
Meanwhile, other Pacquiao associates were hoping to do a fight or exhibition with Ryan Garcia, which fizzled out, and once again, Paradigm looked to get the fight with Mikey Garcia done, according to their claim.
Instead, PBC announced the Pacquiao-Spence fight, and Paradigm alleges that was in violation of their agreement with Pacquiao.
All in all, I gotta say: Sounds like city slickin’ to me. It is a lawsuit that will either go somewhere or not. I know that isn’t much analysis to add (or any!) but I’m not a law-talkin’ guy, and in all sincerity, honestly, I do not care about this, but it is a story that’s out there and it might matter. I wouldn’t start canceling your plans to order Pacquiao-Spence on Aug. 21, but crazier things have happened.