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Class-action lawsuits filed against Pacquiao, Top Rank

Oh, what a tangled web we weave...a second class-action lawsuit was just filed against Manny Pacquiao and Top Rank for not revealing his injury before the fight.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Wil Esco is an assistant editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2014.

Tell me, what typically happens any time you generate ungodly sums of money? Everybody reaches out for a piece of the pie. And in what amounts to all but no time at all, court filings are flying all over the place against both Mayweather and Pacquiao. Floyd Mayweather is being sued by his baby mama for defamation, and now Manny Pacquiao has just picked up his second class-action lawsuit from unhappy customers alleging 'fraud' and 'unjust enrichment.' And to think we thought the real fight was going to take place in between the ropes...

This second class-action lawsuit against Pacquaio was filed by Howard B. Sirota in the U.S. District Court of California "on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated against Emmanuel J. Pacquiao and Top Rank, Inc." He claims that Pacquiao and Top Rank knowingly misled the public (by not disclosing his shoulder tear) into buying a 'Fight of the Century,' and quoted Mike Tyson's characterization of the fight as actually being the "Dud of the Century." Sirota, and whomever else joins his lawsuit, is seeking at least $5 million in damages on behalf of "tens of thousands of consumers."

The very first class-action lawsuit filed against Pacquiao occurred earlier yesterday by Stephane Vanel and Kami Rahbaran in Nevada "on behalf of all persons who purchased tickets; purchased the pay-per-view event; or who wagered money on the event." Their suit is also seeking at least $5 million in damages for basically the same reasons.

Ironically, these lawsuits were only given credence by Pacquiao when he voluntarily revealed that he had a preexisting injury that he didn't disclose to the commission. Based upon this premise, he therefore allegedly defrauded the public for his own monetary gain. So - there you have it! If you paid money for the fight and weren't satisfied, you're free to join either (or both) of these class-action lawsuits and stand-up for your consumer rights. This is America, baby! The place where dreams come true, we take no shit, and you can get all the justice you can afford.

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