The dream match that never was between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is claiming casualties outside of boxing now.
According to The Week, Zindziswa Mandela (daughter of Nelson Mandela) has been ordered to pay a grand total of $7.5 million to boxing promoter Duane Moody in a bizarre tale centered around getting Pacquiao and Mayweather into the ring together. Apparently, Mandela reached out to Moody in an effort to organize a showdown between the No. 1 and No. 2 pound-for-pound fighters in the world – a bout she expected to raise approximately $100 million. The goal was to make the big event happen in time for Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday.
Unfortunately, the match never came to be and at some point along the way Mandela and Moody’s partnership reportedly ended. An arrangement that was originally supposed to net Moody 15 percent of the purse (according to him), ultimately came to a dramatic conclusion with him getting tossed out of a Los Angeles hotel when Mandela stopped paying the bill as they previously agreed she would.
On Tuesday, TMZ reported that because Mandela never bothered to show up for the legal proceedings, a court awarded Moody $7.5 million plus costs in damages.
"We haven't heard anything from any representative for Ms Mandela. It appears she feels hiding in South Africa means she can avoid her obligations in the US," said Moody’s attorney.
Reports are now trickling out that Mandela will appeal the ruling, but nothing official has been done as of yet.
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