Mike Tyson sued for £1.5m over gambling ad campaign withdrawal

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 16:44 · Archive

Mike Tyson faces a £1.5m legal claim after withdrawing from an online gambling brand marketing campaign.

Mike Tyson and his wife Lakiha Tyson face a £1.5m High Court legal battle following claims the heavyweight fighter unlawfully withdrew from a lucrative marketing campaign with Medier Ltd, which operates the Rabona online gambling brand. The sponsorship agreement was signed in January 2024.

Medier alleges that Tyson broke the contract, with promoters claiming he walked away due to scheduling conflicts with his build-up to a 2024 fight against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. The company's lawyers argue that Tyson and his promotional business Tyrannic "simply lost interest" once the far more lucrative $15m exhibition match was confirmed. The planned commercial would have involved Tyson being interviewed by a presenter in a giant talking pigeon costume, before teaching the character how to box.

Tyson and Tyrannic deny breaching the contract, countering that Medier broke the agreement first by demanding the boxer take part in what they claim was a bizarre video project far beyond the scope of the original terms. Legal representatives for Tyson argue the "performance" demanded went beyond what could reasonably be considered required under a contract restricted to recording him playing casino games or other "approved" features on the site.

How it is being reported

• Mike Tyson and his wife are sued for £1.5m after he pulled out of gambling ad campaign because he didn't want to appear on screen with a giant talking pigeonLegendary boxer Mike Tyson is accused of pulling out of a £1.5million gambling campaign after learning he would fight YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul as part of a £15million Netflix deal.Daily Mail · 14 Oct, 16:29
• Mike Tyson in £1.5m legal battle over refusal to appear on livestream with giant talking pigeonThe boxer ‘lost interest’ in his deal with an online gambling brand, a court has heardThe Independent · 14 Oct, 15:22

In this story: Mike Tyson · Lakiha Tyson · Jake Paul · Medier Ltd · Rabona · Tyrannic · Evander Holyfield · London

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem