Canelo Alvarez may be in for a different fight following word that he is suing DAZN and Golden Boy Promotions. This development is a bit surprising considering it wasn’t too long ago that there were plans to have the Mexican face nemesis Gennady Golovkin.
It turns out there is something off internally and the mess has come out in the open. Contract issues have been revealed and now Alvarez is taking the fight outside the boxing ring. The 30-year-old is now claiming damages of at least $280 million, filing a 24-page lawsuit at the United States federal court for Central District of California, Boxingscene reported.
Alvarez is suing DAZN and Golden Boy Promotions for breach of contract, international interference with a contract and negligent interference of a contract, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty related to a five-year among others. Things just got even more complicated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Despite Alvarez’s successes, both DAZN and Golden Boy have broken the promises they made to each other, Alvarez, and boxing fans,” the lawsuit said. “In doing so Defendants have breached their respective contracts and caused Alvarez damages of -- at least -- $280 million.”
The writing was on the wall. You don't have to be a body language expert to tell that there was tension between Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez. pic.twitter.com/Yi22GJ4Ucb — bombs boxing™ (@bombsboxing) September 9, 2020
There was a long list of damages that the camp of Alvarez has filed although Golden Boy claims that that issue is not between them and Alvarez but DAZN. According to Golden Boy spokesman Stefan Friedman, DAZN is the one refusing to honor the contract by not approving the outstanding opponents presented and refusing to pay the amount stated in the contract.
“Even though our contract specifically gives Golden Boy the right to wait until the pandemic is over and fans can return, in the best interests of boxing, Golden Boy is doing everything it can to make great fights happen. We remain ready, willing and able to make a fight for Canelo as soon as possible,” he said.
The last opponent that Alvarez faced was Sergey Kovalev, Daniel Jacobs and Rocky Fielding. Since then, his next fight has yet to be set with the coronavirus in the way. Boxing made its return in June but Alvarez has yet to find out who he will fight next. Discussions had begun but DAZN allegedly wanted to cut Alvarez’s money from $35 million to less than half for him to fight non-Golovkin opponents – Billy Joe Saunders or Callum Smith. A fight with GGG is preferred.
It is an untimely mess and there is no telling how this will end. It could be ironed out or get even uglier. Either way, Alvarez and his camp are unfazed by the battle they are facing.
