Adrien Broner publicly backed Al Haymon as Floyd Mayweather’s $340 million fraud lawsuit against Showtime widened, pulling the former champion’s financial past into a dispute now echoing across boxing’s management ranks. Mayweather’s filing rattled the business side of the sport, yet Haymon is not listed among the defendants, a detail that immediately drew attention inside management circles where purse splits, advisory influence, and broadcast revenue are rarely discussed in the open.
Broner wasted little time weighing in on social media. “Call me dumb or brainwashed, I would never take legal action against Al Haymon. I am a loyal individual.” Broner, a former multi-division titleholder whose career lost traction following promotional movement and a fifth defeat to Blair Cobbs, tied that loyalty to periods earlier in his career when liquidity issues surfaced. “I know he did things for me that nobody would do, and if I’m owed any money, oh well, man, he kept me satisfied.
I will never spin the block for retaliation; it is what it is. See y’all soon….” Broner Loyalty Surfaces As Lawsuit Pressures Boxing’s Pay Structure Broner’s public stance reopens a familiar industry dynamic. At the height of the license-fee era, Haymon-aligned fighters often saw purses climb while networks competed for inventory. That marketplace no longer exists in the same form, leaving veterans attempting comebacks to negotiate in a tighter financial environment where guarantees shrink and risk tolerance rises. For years Broner referred to Haymon as both advisor and shield, language commonly heard from fighters operating under managerial structures that prioritized television placement and A-side positioning. The relationship fractured in 2022 when Broner voiced grievances publicly and separated from Premier Boxing Champions before brief stretches under BLK Prime and Don King. Ring activity slowed, and viable opponent pipelines thinned.
Veteran reporter Dan Rafael circulated documents tied to the Mayweather case while referencing industry talk suggesting a private settlement involving Haymon, though confirmation has not surfaced. Matchmaker Rick Glaser advanced a firmer interpretation while discussing the lawsuit.
“Floyd not suing Al Haymon because Al Haymon already settled out of court…he’s suing Showtime and Steven Espinoza.” Stephen Espinoza, the former president of Showtime Sports, told “Compass on the Beat“: “I have not seen the paperwork. I’ve seen the reports, I’ve seen the descriptions, and as usual, the attorneys don’t want me out there publicly saying it. I’m definitely disappointed and surprised. I’m not sure exactly where it’s coming from. It’s a mystery in a lot of ways,” Espinoza said. The case centers on broadcast revenue at a moment when network money is no longer underwriting deep cards, forcing promoters and managers to recalibrate how purses are built.
Broner, currently inactive, has now attached his name to Haymon just as the financial model that helped elevate both men faces courtroom examination, a process that could influence how future headline fighters structure representation and secure television dates.
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