PARADIGM Sports Management scored a knockout against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao after a California jury found the retired fighter guilty of breaching his exclusive contract to the firm owned by Audie Attar.
Voting 9-3, the jury favored Paradigm in the civil lawsuit which ordered the 44-year-old Pacquiao to pay out a total of $5.1 million (around P281 million).
The court awarded Paradigm $1.8 million in damages and at the same time, ordered Pacquiao to return the $3.3 million advance he received from the sports management group.
ABS-CBN Los Angeles-based correspondent Steve Angeles was the first to break the news.
Pacquiao’s camp has yet to issue a statement regarding the court decision as of post time.
The only eight-time world division champion was in the US last week to watch the Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia lightweight showdown, and at the same time, testify on the stand as witness to the lawsuit filed by Paradigm in 2021.
Pacquiao was asked questions by his lawyer Bruce Cleeland, and later on, cross examined by Judd Burstein, lawyer of Paradigm.
Attar also took the witness stand and testified on behalf of the management group that also handles UFC superstar ConnorMcGregor.
Paradigm sued Pacquiao after the boxing icon fought replacement foe Yordenis Ugas for the WBA welterweight title despite having a contract with the firm which he signed in 2020 just before the pandemic outbreak.
