Mayweather-Zambidis fight – A federal lawsuit and an unanswered request for an emergency temporary restraining order have forced the cancellation of Floyd Mayweather’s exhibition bout with Mike Zambidis, scheduled for Saturday in Athens, Greece. Court filings describe a contractual dispu
By the time the calendar flipped to Saturday, the Mayweather-Zambidis exhibition fight had already been shaken by court filings—first with a bid to stop it, then with a motion that still had no ruling.
The bout. scheduled for Saturday evening in Athens. Greece. was called off after federal court records filed in the Southern District of New York described a lawsuit seeking emergency relief against Floyd Mayweather. In the motion and related filings. promotion company CSI Sports Events said it paid Mayweather $4.65 million to exclusively promote fights with Manny Pacquiao and Mike Tyson. and claimed he breached that agreement by agreeing to fight Mike Zambidis. an 18-time world kickboxing champion.
The dispute landed in court with timing that left little room for uncertainty. The payments described in the lawsuit were made last year, including an initial payment of $4.5 million and an additional $150,000. The day before announcing the Zambidis fight, Mayweather announced the match, according to the lawsuit.
Attorney Melissa Glass, representing the plaintiffs, wrote to the court that the event would no longer proceed. “Because Plaintiffs’ Motion remains pending without a ruling. the Mayweather-Zambidis event will no longer proceed in Athens. Greece as planned on Saturday evening. ” she wrote in a letter filed with the court. Glass added that the lawsuit’s timing and related efforts had already disrupted logistics. “Plaintiffs’ commencement of this action and filing of the Motion. as well as their legal threats domestically and in Greece. have effectively stopped any promotion or distribution plans for the event and halted ticket sales.”.
Glass also said the fight had not secured a broadcaster.
Front Row CEO Keane Anis. who was also listed as the fight’s promoter. laid out the fallout in the same court filings. He said his company has spent or irrevocably committed “approximately $7 million in connection with the Event. ” listing categories that included the Las Vegas press conference. production. marketing. advertising. travel. hotels. security. staffing. equipment. venue-related matters. insurance. licensing. and governmental fees. along with other event expenses.
Anis argued the cancellation created wide damage. In his filing, he said the cancelation has “caused substantial practical, contractual, commercial, and reputational harm to Front Row and numerous third parties.”
Glass also asked the court for a specific condition tied to any temporary restraining order. “Finally. I request that Your Honor require only a nominal bond. as the TRO will not be the cause of Mayweather not going forward with the Zambidis Fight on Saturday. ” she wrote. She added that any claim against CSI would be something Mayweather would need to prove for damages. “To the extent that Mayweather claims that CSI should be held liable in connection with the cancellation of the Zambidis Fight. that would be a claim against CSI for damages that he would be required to prove.”.
In a separate explanation included in the filings. Glass referenced the practical pressure of the date and the operating reality on the ground in Greece. “Due to the fluid situation on the ground in Athens and significant damage to the commercial viability of the event. and given the time difference and imminence of its scheduled start time on June 27. the difficult decision was made to cancel the June 27 exhibition fight. Depending on the Court’s ruling, the event may be rescheduled for a later date,” her statement continues.
CSI Entertainment sued Mayweather earlier this month, and the suit sought monetary damages on top of an attempt to block the fight. CSI alleged Mayweather breached contracts, including agreement to the fight in Greece.
Whether the bout would move forward had depended on a federal judge in New York. It was up to U.S. District Court Judge Vernon S. Broderick, after he presided over a two-hour phone hearing on Wednesday, June 24. Broderick said he would rule Thursday on a motion for a temporary restraining order filed by CSI Entertainment to stop Mayweather from fighting Zambidis.
The fight is now off, with the court’s posture described in the filings as a motion that “remains pending without a ruling.” That gap—after weeks of preparation work already described in the paperwork—left the event with no path to recovery before Saturday’s scheduled start.
Mayweather Zambidis Athens Greece federal court Southern District of New York temporary restraining order CSI Sports Events CSI Entertainment Vernon S. Broderick Melissa Glass Keane Anis Floyd Mayweather contract dispute Mike Zambidis Manny Pacquiao Mike Tyson