(CNN Philippines) — The good news is, at least according to ESPN, Floyd Mayweather Jr. says he’s willing to let Manny Pacquiao have another shot at him.
The bad news is…
Actually, there are three bits of bad news — all because of Pacquiao’s shoulder injury:
One: Even if he accepts a rematch, Pacquiao won’t be able to fight for at least 12 months after surgery for a torn rotator cuff on his right shoulder.
Two: The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) may sanction him for failing to disclose his injury before the match with Mayweather, which took place on May 3 (PHT) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Three: On Tuesday, May 5 (Wednesday, May 6 PHT), some Nevada residents filed a class-action lawsuit against Pacquiao seeking $5 million in damages for his failure to disclose his injury until the last moment before the fight.
KLAS TV first reported the filing of the suit, according to Sports Illustrated, which posted its own story about the suit on its website.
In a PDF document obtained by CNN Philippines, the plaintiffs are Staphane Vanel and Kami Rahbaran, both residents of Clark County, Nevada. Their legal counsel is the McDonald Law Offices, headed by Brandon B. McDonald.
Besides Pacquiao, the other defendants are:
Top Rank Inc., one of the promoters of the “Fight of the Century,” as the match was called.
Bob Arum, Top Rank treasurer and director
Todd DuBoef, Top Rank president
Michael Koncz, a Pacquiao adviser
In their suit, the plaintiffs said: “All members of the Class relied upon the misrepresentations and the non-disclosures in purchasing tickets; purchasing pay per view showings; and in making wagers on the Event.”
The class, they said, represents potentially thousands of people.
They said the defendants committed consumer fraud by not disclosing the injury.
After losing to Mayweather via unanimous decision last Sunday, Pacquiao and his team announced that he fought with a shoulder injury that affected his performance.
The 36-year-old boxer said he wanted to take anti-inflammatory shots for his shoulder, but the NAC turned down his request.
But according to a Reuters report, NSAC Chairman Francisco Aguilar said he only heard of the injury shortly after Pacquiao arrived in his locker room before the fight.
“I have no proof of the injury. If he told us on Friday (Saturday PHT), we would have gotten the MRIs and there are a lot of things we could have done,” Francisco was quoted by Reuters as saying.
