comscore Fans sue Pacquiao over nondisclosure of shoulder injury | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
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Fans sue Pacquiao over nondisclosure of shoulder injury

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    Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao went into the richest match in boxing history without telling fans and gamblers he had a bum shoulder. Now, he faces a fight in court.

Two Nevada residents sued the boxer and a fight promoter saying everyone who bought a ticket, paid as much as $99.95 to watch it on television or bet on Pacquaio’s bout with Floyd Mayweather was ripped off. The two residents seek to represent all ticket and pay-per-view buyers and bettors.

Pacquaio, 36, was set to receive about 40 percent of the $300 million that the fight was expected to generate in revenue. He lost the fight in a 12-round decision and later revealed he suffered a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder during training.

Pacquiao and Top Rank Inc., one of the promoters of the “Fight of the Century,” had a duty to disclose the injury to the Nevada State Athletic Commission and failed to do so until shortly before the start of the match, according the complaint filed Tuesday in Las Vegas federal court.

Top Rank said in a statement posted on its website on Monday that Pacquiao’s advisers had notified the U.S. Anti- Doping Agency of the injury and got approval from the agency for him to use Toradol, a non-steroid anti-inflammatory as treatment.

The Nevada Commission stopped the treatment shortly before the fight because, according to Top Rank’s statement, it was unaware of the injury. Pacquiao went ahead with the fight even though his shoulder wasn’t “perfect,” according to the promoter’s statement.

Lee Samuels, a spokesman for Las Vegas-based Top Rank had no immediate comment on the lawsuit.

The case is Vanel v. Pacquiao, 15-00842, U.S. District Court, District of Nevada (Las Vegas).

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