A court in California in the United States of America has ordered legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather to pay an amount of $2.4 million to the Nigerian company, Zzini Media Concept Limited.
The boxing icon was found guilty of breaching an agreement with the company that mandated him to make a number of visits to some African countries.
According to multiple reports in the Nigerian media, Mayweather was also found guilty by the Court of Appeal for the state of California for engaging in fraud.
Details of the case indicate that Zzini Media Concept agreed a deal with Floyd Mayweather for him to visit Africa a number of times, including a trip to Nigeria in June 2017.
However, Mayweather did not fulfill his side of the agreement, which compelled the company to initiate processes for reimbursement.
Mayweather’s camp, according to the report, argued that since the company was not based in the US, they could not compel Mayweather to settle the amount.
The company then sued Mayweather and his team in a lower court and won the case. The court ordered Mayweather to pay $1,638,542 in damages, $721,881.32 in prejudgment interest, $16,270 in sanctioned attorney fees, as well as $285 in costs to the company.
Mayweather appealed the ruling, but the California Court of Appeal, in a ruling on August 27, 2024, upheld the initial verdict by the lower court.
Responding to the decision by the court, Alex Nwankwo, an executive of the company, said in a statement that the company won because they had a strong case against Mayweather.
“After several unsuccessful attempts to recover the appearance fees from the American boxer, the company instituted a legal action against Mayweather in 2018 where it alleged breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and fraud against the former champion.
“We are grateful that two courts have granted a prayer by Zzini Media Ltd to impose terminating sanctions against Mayweather,” the statement partly read.
Mayweather, according to the statement from the company, has refused to pay the amount, which has forced the court to issue a fresh order targeting his 2015 Bugatti GSV or his 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta.
“We have already defeated Mayweather and his attorneys on numerous occasions during the proceedings, so the enforcement of the judgment will be duly applied.
“Our forensic investigators have also uncovered a substantial number of Mayweather’s valued assets showing that he was very successful but clearly overstating his true net worth,” the statement added.
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