MIKE Tyson’s ring return on November 15 was controversial beforehand and has caused further issues for the legendary heavyweight after the event. Medier, a company based in Cyprus, has filed a lawsuit in the London High Court seeking damages of around $1.5 million, alleging that Tyson terminated a promotional contract he signed with them at the turn of the year to pursue the Jake Paul payday.
While Tyson cancelled the contract due to a supposed “breach of agreement” by Medier, they, in turn, claim that it was the pursuit of the Paul fight that caused the cancellation. They added that the decision resulted in more than $800,000 of lost fees paid to Tyson, plus additional fees totalling over $700,000 already invested for future campaigns and promotions.
Tyson’s legal team says that Medier failed to acquire permission from Tyson regarding promotional materials, hence the cancellation. In the bout itself, while Tyson managed to last the eight rounds, he was a shell of his former self.
The estimated purse of $20 million he received from the Texas event, streamed by Netflix, will certainly help ease the blow. A small portion of that could now eaten up if Medier -who promotes the betting company Rabona (a company specialising in online casinos)- is successful in the courts.
