Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is being sued by Triller over his refusal to work with the app for his next exhibition fight.
Triller's CEO Ryan Kavanaugh sent a letter to Tyson revealing that the app had spent over $30 million dollars on his previous exhibition bout vs. Roy Jones Jr. and already paid Tyson $25 million in full for a third fight against Evander Holyfield.
“Rather than drop the price or renogotiate the deal, we agreed to keep the economics the same with the understanding that the Holyfield fight would be the next fight and we pre-agreed to the terms,” Kavanaugh writes. “No one else but Triller was willing to take $25 million dollars of risk on the initial fight, especially in the middle of Covid. We did. Every penny paid in full and no one has ever claimed that we did not every penny in full.”
Kavanaugh said Triller sued Tyson in order to prevent him from pursuing exhibition fights that don't involve the social video platform.
In March, Tyson posted a message on Instagram stating that he would no longer work with Triller.
“Just to be clear there is no Tyson with Triller fight. I don't know any Triller executives personally. I don't have a deal with Triller or any head executive representing them for the next event…I will never do another event or any business with Triller so anyone misrepresenting that they own the rights to my name or my next even isn't true. I am not with or ever will be with Triller's Fight Club.”
Kavanaugh claims to have receipts proving Tyson's financial agreement with Triller.
“It is unquestionable that we have a contractual right to your next fight, including but not limited to Evander. Having spent over $30 million dollars on your first fight while being told it was a crazy risk no one would take was only because and for this right to a Tyson-Holyfield fight. We also entered into an agreement directly with Evander.”
Triller’s @RyanKavanaugh responds to Mike Tyson with a letter (obtained by me) affirming that Triller has the rights to Tyson’s next fight and claiming there’s bank receipts Tyson was paid in full ($25 million) for the Roy Jones Jr. event pic.twitter.com/FmRC7NMGoJ
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) June 28, 2021
Call it Tyson vs. Triller I.
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