A new legal chapter has opened for Manny Pacquiao, and this time, the boxing icon is the one bringing the claims.
According to filings in Los Angeles County Superior Court, and obtained by The Los Angeles Times, the boxer has launched a lawsuit accusing a former restaurant server—and multiple law firms—of malicious prosecution and defamation following a years-long legal battle tied to the 2015 fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The dispute dates back to 2016, when Gabriel Rueda, a waiter and aspiring actor, sued Pacquiao, claiming he played a key role in arranging the historic bout.
Rueda alleged he connected Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, with then-CBS executive Leslie Moonves during a chance meeting at Craig’s restaurant in West Hollywood. Based on that claim, Rueda sought a percentage of the fight’s revenue, which totaled hundreds of millions.
He also made more serious accusations, alleging Pacquiao orchestrated a campaign of intimidation that included threats and disturbing images sent to his phone. The lawsuit initially sought tens of millions in damages.
Pacquiao denied all of it—and ultimately prevailed in court.
In 2023 and 2024, judges ruled in Pacquiao’s favor on multiple fronts. The alleged agreement for a finder’s fee was deemed invalid, and the claims tied to emotional distress and harassment were dismissed due to lack of evidence. A final judgment in March 2025 cleared Pacquiao of all allegations.
Now, Pacquiao is pushing back.
His new complaint argues that the original lawsuit should never have been filed in the first place. It claims the case was built on a fabricated narrative and pursued without probable cause for more than eight years, forcing the boxer to spend significant time and money defending himself.
At the center of the countersuit is a previously undisclosed email written by Rueda shortly after the 2015 fight. The message, recovered through court-ordered forensic analysis years later, appears to contradict the core of Rueda’s original claim. In it, Rueda allegedly stated he “asked for nothing in return. No finder’s fee, no compensation.”
Pacquiao’s legal team argues that this email should have been produced earlier, noting it was responsive to discovery requests and subject to a 2018 court order. Instead, they allege it was withheld for years, surfacing only in 2023 after further investigation.
The lawsuit also challenges the claims of threats. According to Pacquiao’s attorneys, records from a third-party messaging service showed that the graphic texts cited by Rueda were part of a widespread scam, with identical messages sent to numerous unrelated recipients. Rueda later dropped those allegations.
In a statement included in the filing, Pacquiao’s lawyers described the situation as “one of the most egregious abuses of the civil justice system,” alleging the case was driven by knowingly false claims designed to pressure a financial settlement.
Pacquiao is now seeking compensatory and punitive damages from Rueda, as well as the attorneys and firms involved in pursuing the original case.
The legal fight unfolds as Pacquiao prepares for a return to the spotlight. More than a decade after their first meeting, he and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are set for a high-profile rematch later this year in Las Vegas.