Tarnished Twenty
Pacquiao-Mayweather Fight Takes Another Blow with Battery Charge
By Adam Ramirez on November 18, 2010 10:45 AM
Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s ears must have been burning. After Manny Pacquiao dismantled Antonio Margarito in a title fight over the weekend, Mayweather's name was tossed around incessantly:
Will the Pacquiao Mayweather bout, the fight all of boxing wants to see, happen now? Is Mayweather scared or just dodging Pacquiao? So perhaps Mayweather was a bit surly from being called out when he allegedly got into it with a security guard Monday, resulting in yet another brush with the law.
A Las Vegas security guard has accused Mayweather of poking him in the face several times and threatening him over parking violations outside Mayweather's home, Yahoo! Sports reports. Mayweather refused to speak with police officers called to his house to investigate the confrontation. The unnamed guard told police that Mayweather, 33, has been in an ongoing dispute with homeowner association security officers over parking outside his home.
Despite Floyd's ducking the police at his home, a misdemeanor battery report was taken and was submitted to the Clark County district attorney for possible prosecution, Las Vegas police officer Marcus Martin told the Associated Press.
Mayweather is no stranger to the Clark County DA.
In September the boxer was arrested after allegedly attacking his ex-girlfriend Josie Harris. As previously reported in Tarnished Twenty, Mayweather is also facing larceny and domestic violence charges after he allegedly attacked and threatened to kill Harris at her Las Vegas home. Harris is the mother of three of Mayweather's children.
So while Mayweather didn't touch the security guard nearly as hard as he does opponents in the ring, he could still be prosecuted (and/or face a civil suit) for battery.
In general, battery is both a civil tort and a crime. The main distinction between the two lies in who is pursuing the case -- law enforcement in a criminal action, or the victim in a civil lawsuit -- and in the penalty imposed. Generally, the following elements must be proven to establish a case for battery:
•an act by a defendant;
•an intent to cause harmful or offensive contact on the part of the defendant; and
•harmful or offensive contact to the plaintiff/victim.
So will the Pacquiao Mayweather dream match ever get made? Pacquiao's promoter will now go looking for Mayweather to see if Mayweather really wants a piece of Pacquiao. The two recognized best pound-for-pound fighters have tried twice to ink a deal. Mayweather reportedly made an issue out of imposing stricter blood testing, but many boxing observers believed that was just Mayweather trying to get out of a fight he never really wanted to take. After seeing what Pacquiao did to a much bigger Margarito Saturday, Mayweather may now be thinking he wants even less to do with Pacquiao. Still, Mayweather may find other motivation to take the bout now: namely his burgeoning legal bills.
More Legal Headaches Loom for Mayweather (PeaceFMOnline)
Battery Basics (FindLaw)
Manny Pacquiao's Speed Destroys Heavier Antonio Margarito (FindLaw)
Floyd Mayweather Jr Arrested for Larceny, Domestic Violence (FindLaw)