A lawsuit filed by a man who alleges he was subjected to strong-arm tactics after asking to be paid an $8.6 million finder’s fee for helping set up Manny Pacquiao’s 2015 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. should be dismissed because he never had such an agreement with the famed boxer, lawyers for the fighter state in new court papers.
In their latest effort to have Gabriel Rueda’s allegations against Pacquiao thrown out, lawyers for the fighter state in documents filed with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Sotelo that their client knew nothing about Rueda’s alleged plan to introduce then-CBS CEO Leslie Moonves to Pacquiao’s trainer at the time, Freddie Roach, in exchange for the finder’s fee to be paid to the plaintiff.
“The evidence is undisputed that Pacquiao did not know about Rueda’s plan and did not agree to pay Rueda a finder’s fee of any kind,” the 39-year-old Filipino pugilist’s attorneys state in their court papers.
Sotelo has previously denied defense efforts to dismiss claims that Rueda filed against the boxer.
Rueda filed his lawsuit, which includes allegations of breach of contract and fraud, in February 2016, naming Pacquiao, Roach, CBS, Showtime Entertainment and former Stormy Daniels lawyer Keith Davidson, described in the plaintiff’s court papers as a lawyer for “Roach, Pacquiao and a few other powerful people.”
Rueda’s suit states he served meals to Moonves while working at Craig’s restaurant in West Hollywood and told Moonves he could introduce him to Roach in order to break the ice between Al Haymon and Bob Arum, the promoters for Mayweather and Pacquiao, respectively.
Rueda claims he arranged a meeting between Roach and Moonves, with an agreement that he would get a 2 percent finder’s fee of gross fight proceeds paid to CBS, Showtime Network, Pacquiao and Roach.
But Pacquiao’s lawyers have submitted declarations from both the fighter and Roach in support of their dismissal motion, scheduled to be heard Nov. 29.
“I was not aware of a meeting between Mr. Roach and Mr. Moonves,” Pacquiao says. “I did not authorize Mr. Roach to attend the meeting” and “I never promised to pay or agreed to pay Mr. Rueda a finder’s fee for any reason.”
Roach, who left as Pacquiao’s trainer in 2017, supported his former boss’ assertions.
“At no time has Mr. Pacquiao ever told me that he was aware of a meeting between me and Mr. Moonves, that he authorized me to attend the meeting and that he specifically authorized payment of a finder’s fee to Mr. Rueda,” Roach says.
CBS announced earlier this month that Moonves was leaving his post following numerous allegations of sexual misconduct.