Floyd Mayweather’s latest comeback plan has taken another major hit, as his scheduled June 27 exhibition fight against Mike Zambidis in Athens, Greece, was canceled just days before the event amid a fast-moving legal fight over his future in the ring.
According to TalkSPORT, the bout was called off after CSI Sports Events filed a lawsuit accusing Mayweather of breaching an exclusive fight agreement tied to planned matchups with Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao. The company reportedly claims it paid Mayweather $4.5 million last year, plus an additional $150,000 before the Zambidis fight was announced, and argued that allowing him to fight Zambidis first would cause “irreparable harm.”
The cancellation marks another setback in what has become a messy 2026 comeback run for the undefeated boxing legend. Mayweather, 49, started the year with multiple high-profile fights floating around his name, but none have made it to the ring. His planned exhibition with Mike Tyson was postponed after Tyson suffered a broken hand during training, and his long-teased Manny Pacquiao rematch is now reportedly in trouble as well. Sports Illustrated noted that reporter Dan Rafael claimed the Pacquiao fight is “NOT happening in September” and could be pushed to January 2027 if it happens at all.
The Pacquiao situation had already been shaky. The rematch was once linked to Netflix and The Sphere in Las Vegas, but Sports Illustrated later reported that The Sphere would not host the bout on September 19 after the venue announced Eagles concerts for that date. That added even more doubt to Mayweather’s first official professional fight since his 2017 win over Conor McGregor, which left him with a perfect 50-0 record.
Outside the ring, Mayweather’s legal problems are also piling up. Reuters reported that he is facing two felony charges in Nevada after allegedly writing a $200,000 check for a luxury watch while lacking sufficient funds or credit to cover it. The charges include theft involving property valued at $100,000 or more and drawing or passing a check with intent to defraud. Mayweather has not been convicted, and the case remains pending.
Financial questions have followed him, too. Business Insider reported in April that the IRS filed a $7.3 million lien against Mayweather over unpaid taxes from 2018 and 2023. The outlet also reported that his attorney previously denied he was “experiencing financial strain.”
At the same time, Mayweather has been the one filing major lawsuits of his own. ESPN reported he sued a former associate for $175 million over an alleged fraud scheme, while MMA Fighting reported he filed a $340 million lawsuit against Showtime and former executive Stephen Espinoza over alleged missing fight earnings.
For years, Mayweather built his brand around money, perfection and control. But with the Zambidis fight now scrapped, Tyson delayed, Pacquiao uncertain and court battles stacking up, the biggest fight of his 2026 comeback may be outside the ring.
