Floyd Mayweather Jr. is facing a massive wave of financial and legal pressure just as he prepares for a high-profile return to the ring.
The IRS recently filed a $7.3 million tax lien against the boxing legend in Las Vegas, citing unpaid taxes from 2018 and 2023. This filing allows the federal government to claim Mayweather’s property as security until the multi-million dollar balance is settled. While Mayweather has famously dealt with tax issues in the past, including a $22.2 million settlement back in 2015, this latest lien comes as several other high-stakes legal battles reach a boiling point.
Adding to the complexity is Mayweather’s own $340 million lawsuit against Showtime. Filed in February, the suit claims that a massive portion of his career earnings was “misappropriated” through a fraud scheme. Mayweather alleges that instead of routing fight revenues directly to him, funds were wired to third-party accounts where the money became “missing and unaccounted for.” While Showtime denies these claims, the case highlights the massive sums of money currently tied up in litigation.
The tax debt and network battle are just part of the hurdles hitting the retired champion this year. In Miami, AJ’s Jewelry filed a lawsuit claiming Mayweather walked away with over $1.3 million in luxury watches and chains without paying the full bill, alleging that several checks he wrote actually bounced. This is on top of a separate federal case where another jeweler is seeking $4 million. Even his living arrangements have faced scrutiny, with legal claims alleging he owes over $330,000 in unpaid rent for a Manhattan penthouse.
These drawbacks appear to be the driving force behind Mayweather’s recent push to return to the ring for high-stakes paydays. However, even those plans are getting complicated. The team behind Manny Pacquiao recently accused Mayweather of being in breach of contract regarding their scheduled September rematch. They claim he already accepted a significant cash advance for the fight but has since tried to pivot the event from a professional bout to a low-stakes exhibition.
Despite the mounting pile of lawsuits and liens, Mayweather continues to post photos on social media with stacks of cash. His legal team maintains he is not “experiencing financial strain,” but the trail of court documents suggests the fighter is in a race to secure his next big payday to clear the debts stacking up against him.
