LOS ANGELES, (March 27, 2015) Boxer Jhonny Gonzalez and his Mexican promoter Promociones del Pueblo conspired with manager/promoter Al Haymon to violate Golden Boy’s exclusive rights to promote Gonzalez, a bombshell complaint filed today against the fighter and the promotional company contends.
Despite Golden Boy’s repeated attempts, Gonzalez, Promociones del Pueblo and Haymon repeatedly refused to put on tomorrow night’s fight between Gonzalez and Gary Russell, Jr., until they cut Golden Boy out of the process, clearly violating the agreement between the boxer and promoter.
“Golden Boy’s contract with Jhonny Gonzalez couldn’t be clearer – the company has exclusive promotional rights for two years or four fights, and neither of those milestones has been reached to date,” said Golden Boy Spokesman Stefan Friedman. “Furthermore, the motive behind the defendants adamant and longtime refusal to match Gonzalez with Gary Russell, Jr is now plain for the world to see. We will vigorously fight to ensure our contract is enforced.”
Golden Boy is seeking damages of no less than $1 million and for the court to enforce the company’s existing contract with Gonzalez.
According to the complaint:
“In December 2013, Golden Boy entered into a written agreement with Gonzalez and DPP wherein Golden Boy obtained the exclusive right to promote Gonzalez’s professional boxing matches throughout the world for a period of two years beginning on the first bout conducted pursuant to the agreement, or four fights, whichever comes first (the “Agreement”). The Agreement further provides that Gonzalez will not take part in any professional boxing match prior to the first bout conducted pursuant to the Agreement.
In August, 2014, Golden Boy proposed that Gonzalez fight Gary Russell, Jr., a promising featherweight boxer in either November or December of that year. DPP initially ignored this proposal and then rejected it, preferring to have Gonzalez fight a lesser opponent, Jose Arce, in Mexico in October.
Thereafter, Golden Boy continued to try and find appropriate fights for Gonzalez. However, DPP consistently refused the fights proposed by Golden Boy for Gonzalez.
In February, 2015, it became clear why DPP was refusing all of the fights proposed by Golden Boy for Gonzalez. DPP was conspiring with Russell’s manager/promoter, Al Haymon, to put together a fight between Gonzalez and Russell in which Golden Boy would not be involved.”
