A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by boxer Andre Ward which attempted to terminate his promotional contract with promoter Dan Goossen. Although the case was dismissed, there are other pending lawsuits between the boxer and promoter.
Ward had filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking declaratory relief which would invalidate the promotional contract with Goossen. Ward argued that the promotional contact he signed with Goossen exceeded the seven year maximum which would be in violation of California Labor Code Section 2855. Ward and his counsel had argued that the Court ruling should have preceded the CSAC Arbitration hearing this past spring. As you may recall, the CSAC ruled in favor of Goossen in determining the validity of the promotional contact. Adding insult to injury, the court used the CSAC ruling as guidance for its own ruling that the promotional contract was valid.
Although Ward lost here, he has filed a lawsuit in federal court in the Bay Area citing violation of the Muhammad Ali Act. As a result, Goossen has filed his own lawsuit for defamation which relates to statements made alleging Goossen’s promotional activities should be investigated for criminal activities.
Payout Perspective:
Realistically, the loss here may not be as big as one might think. Essentially, the CSAC had ruled on the promotional agreement and the court appears to have just followed suit. Ward’s legal team is likely focusing on the Ali Act violations as well as defending the Goossen defamation lawsuit. Ward’s team might try to remove the Goossen lawsuit from LA Superior Court and “consolidate” it with its claim in federal court. This may be a strategic maneuver by Ward’s legal team and also a practical matter as there would be two different lawsuits in different courts (one federal, one state) with different court deadlines.
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