Floyd Mayweather Jr., was ordered to pay $2.4 million to Zinni Media Concept Limited, a Nigerian corporation, for breaching a contract by a United States Court, upholding a prior verdict.
The Nigerian company had entered into an agreement with the former world champion requiring him to make different appearances in Africa, including one in Nigeria in June 2017.
However, Mayweather abruptly terminated the deal without cause and refused to refund the advance payment made to him by Zinni Media.
A lower court in California found in Zinni Media’s favor in October 2023, giving the company a total of $2.4 million, which included $1.6 million in damages, $721,881 in prejudgment interest, $16,270 in attorney fees, and $285 in additional costs.
Mayweather appealed the ruling, but in the latest decision on August 27, 2024, the California Court of Appeals, through its clerk Eva McClintock, affirmed the lower court’s judgment. Despite the finality of the case, Mayweather was yet to pay the damages.
The company’s media executive, Alex Nwankwo, issued a statement in response to the ruling, said the appellate court found merit in the lower court ruling, which found Mayweather guilty.
“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 Zinni Media Ltd to impose terminating sanctions against Mayweather,” the statement partly read.
The statement noted despite the ruling of the court of appeal and finality on the case, Mayweather had continued to face additional penalties as the unpaid judgement accrues interest to grow at 10 percentage per annum.
In a bid to enforce the judgement, the court has gone ahead to instruct US attorneys to target Mayweather’s 2015 Bugatti GSV or his 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, both valued over the judgment amount, Zinni Media Ltd further stated in its release.