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According to an Aug. 14 statement by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), the panel plans to consolidate 10 class action lawsuits that similarly allege that promoters lied about popular boxer Manny Pacquiao’s shoulder injury prior to his fight with Floyd Mayweather in a match promoted as the “Fight of the Century.”
The JPML ruled that centralization of these lawsuits will serve to make the litigation more convenient and efficient for both defendants and plaintiffs, especially considering these class action lawsuits all involve common questions of fact related to the promotion of the fight.
The JPML transferred eight of the Fight of the Century class action lawsuits to the Central District of California, where the two remaining cases were filed and pending. This also happens to be the district in which Pacquiao was training when he sustained his shoulder injury a month prior to his fight with Mayweather.
“Plaintiffs in each of the actions allege that Pacquiao and the other defendants failed to disclose this injury to the public and, in fact, misrepresented Pacquiao’s health prior to the Fight, ostensibly so as not to risk the alleged $300 million in revenue from pay-per-view purchases of the Fight,” according to the JPML’s transfer order establishing the Fight of the Century MDL. “Although there is some variation in the causes of action asserted by the plaintiffs, all are based upon the theory that members of the public were fraudulently induced to purchase the pay-per-view showing of the Fight.”
According to proposed Fight of the Century class action lawsuits, boxing fans paid a premium to watch the heavily promoted Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing match. Soon after the boxing match in May, many viewers filed lawsuits against the boxing promotion company Top Rank Inc. and Pacquiao himself, claiming they would not have paid to watch the boxing match if they had known of Pacquiao’s injury.
The plaintiffs are viewers who paid $89.95 to $99.95 to see the highly anticipated and promoted boxing match. These viewers are seeking their money back, claiming Pacquiao’s shoulder injury was hidden by Top Rank when the company promoted the match, leading the public to believe that Pacquiao was in top fighting condition when he lost his fight against Mayweather.
By the end of July, over 40 Fight of the Century lawsuits were filed in various districts and states, many arguing for the San Francisco federal courthouse as the site for consolidated litigation. The JPML chose the Central District of California as the transferee district as this venue had the most Fight of the Century class action lawsuits among the available districts. Furthermore, this district seemed to be the best choice of venue, as it was where Pacquiao allegedly trained before the fight and where he was injured and treated for said injury, meaning many witnesses and much of the pertinent evidence to these cases will likely be found in this location.
The plaintiffs are represented by Zimmerman Reed PLLP, Wilentz Goldman & Spitzer P. A., Cronin & Co., Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, Federman & Sherwood, and many others.
The Fight of the Century MDL is In Re: Pacquiao-Mayweather Boxing Match Pay-Per-View Litigation, MDL No. 2639, in the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.
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7 thoughts onJPML Chooses Venue for ‘Fight of the Century’ MDL
I paid for the fight 70.00 i would like to be involved in lawsuit…
Yes I paid 99.95 to direct tv would like to be invoved.
Yes I paid 99.95 to direct tv for this fight and was very angry regarding pac injury.
I paid 99.95 to direct tv for this fight would like to be involved
I would like to be included in lawsuit. I paid $99.95 to Brighthouse to see fight.
I paid 99.95 for this fight. I would like to be involved!
I paid $99.95 through my cable company for this fight and would be interested in being included in the lawsuit.