A lawsuit filed by boxing fans disappointed in the 2015 "Fight of the Century" between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. was dismissed by a U.S. appeals court Thursday.
The bout was widely considered a letdown. Mayweather won by unanimous decision and Pacquiao revealed afterward that he fought with a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that fans and pay-per-view subscribers "got what they paid for," according to Jonathan Stempel of Reuters.
"Although the match may have lacked the drama worthy of the pre-fight hype, Pacquiao's shoulder condition did not prevent him from going the full 12 rounds, the maximum number permitted for professional boxing contests," Circuit Judge Jacqueline Nguyen wrote in the decision. "Plaintiffs therefore essentially got what they paid for - a full-length regulation fight between these two boxing legends."
Mayweather's lawyer, Mark Tratos, said the decision shows there's "no guarantee" ticketholders will like what they watch.
Tickets to the bout sold out in less than a minute, selling for $1,500 to $7,500 and fetching much higher on the secondary market. The bout shattered all-time live gate and pay-per-view records.
