Believe it or not, most of this is a true story.
If not for the Waiter the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight never happens. Does that mean he is owed the money he is claiming, I guess the courts will decide that.
Gabriel Salvador says he was a waiter at West Hollywood hot spot Craig’s when regular customer and CBS honcho Les Moonves came in for a meal. Salvador, an avid boxing fan, says he told Moonves he could set up a meeting with Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach — which, he thought, would be the first domino in making the fight happen.
According to docs obtained by TMZ Sports … Salvador eventually got all 3 men together at Scarpetta in Bev Hills in May 2014. For setting up the sit down, Salvador says he told all parties he wanted a “customary finder’s fee” of 2% of gross proceeds earned by Pacquiao, Roach and CBS/Showtime from the fight.
In the suit, he says Moonves and Roach agreed to the terms and Roach even said, “You will never have to work another day as a waiter in your life.”
Salvador admits he got a ticket to the fight, one night at a Vegas hotel and a $10,000 check to cover expenses.
After the fight, he says Moonves told him CBS didn’t make any money on the fight, and he’d have to collect his fee from Pacquiao and Roach. But Salvador says Keith Davidson, an attorney for Manny and Freddie, tried to strong arm him into accepting $50,000 — and if he didn’t he would lose his job and never land any acting gigs.
Salvador is suing for $8.6 million. I know the first part of his story is true because Arum, Roach and Moonves all confirmed it.
If he didn’t get the 2% finder’s fee in writing, they can all deny that was agreed to. Should be interesting to see what happens.