Floyd Mayweather fight vs Mike Zambidis in legal limbo ahead of June 27 bout

Floyd Mayweather’s June 27 exhibition fight against Mike Zambidis is in legal limbo after a New York judge delayed a ruling on a restraining order.

The fight’s future now rests with U.S. District Court Judge Vernon S. Broderick, who heard arguments Wednesday and said he would rule Thursday on a motion to block Mayweather from stepping into the ring against Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis in Athens.

What happened?

CSI Entertainment and related entities filed a lawsuit against Mayweather on 10 June, accusing him of breaching contracts tied to exclusive rights for future fights. The company claims it paid Mayweather more than $4.5 million in advances and seeks monetary damages.

During a two-hour phone hearing on 24 June, CSI’s attorney Judd Burstein argued that a poor performance or injury to Mayweather could harm the value of CSI’s exclusive deals for proposed bouts against Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao. Tyson’s fight was pushed back to 26 September after he broke his hand in spring training.

Why it matters for Floyd Mayweather

Mayweather was set to pocket $14 million for the Tyson fight and up to $35 million for the Pacquiao bout, according to CSI’s complaint. He also took a $5.8 million loan tied to the Pacquiao contract with EverWonder Studios, which planned to air that fight on Netflix.

Melissa Glass, Mayweather’s attorney, told the court CSI failed to meet the burden for a temporary restraining order. She argued the order would block Mayweather from working and harm his ability to train and compete.

What comes next?

The judge’s pending ruling could decide whether the six-round exhibition against Zambidis happens on 27 June. No broadcaster or distributor has agreed to carry the fight; DAZN removed it from its pay-per-view schedule.

CSI insists Mayweather’s participation in the Zambidis bout breaches prior agreements. Mayweather’s camp counters that CSI has no grounds to halt the fight or claim damages.