ESPN reports that boxing promoters for former junior middleweight world titleholder Demetrius Andrade have filed a lawsuit against Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports in New York.
The promoters Artie Pelullo of Banner Promotions and Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing claim that Jay Z’s boxing promotion arm intentionally interfered with their exclusive contractual agreement with Andrade.
The lawsuit seeks $20 million in damages plus punitive damages. The lawsuit claims Roc Nation and boxing attorney Jeff Fried tried to lure the boxer away from his promoters.
Essentially, Roc Nation Sports attempted to negotiate a promotional agreement with Andrade even though they knew he was under contract. The lawsuit claims that Roc Nation Sports met with Andrade and his manager under the guise of discussing marketing opportunities but indicated it wanted to promote him. Further allegations state that Roc Nation claimed to be attempting to purchase Andrade’s promotional rights and would find a lucrative bout for him on HBO. It also claims it offered Andrade $550,000 not to participate in a Showtime fight that his current promoters had negotiated for him.
Andrade has not fought in 14 months and due to his inactivity, he has been stripped of his WBO junior middleweight title.
Roc Nation Sports have declined comment although they were aware of the lawsuit.
Payout Perspective:
Here’s another case of a battle between promoters and the boxer is left in the middle. Andrade has not fought in some time and his refusal to fight on a Showtime card with the promise of a better payout on an HBO card seems to be a terrible misstep since he was never given an HBO fight. Titles are not everything in boxing so stripping Andrade is not the worst thing. What is worse is a great talent is wasting his formative years (and greatest earning potential) mired in legal troubles.
HAHAHAHA!!! More bad news for boxing. Every time you turn around they are suing each other. Lawsuits left and right. This is like Jerry Springer shit.
At least in boxing there is huge money in lawsuits…..hahahahaha
Jason, I agree 100% with your conclusions. I don’t understand why these young fighters put themselves in these situations. Andre Ward did the same thing. I understand the idea of holding out for a better deal, but you only get paid if you fight. Sometimes the best way out of a deal is to live up to it. Fight all the fights you contracted for and then move on.
I also don’t understand why Jay Z is subjecting himself to the scumbaggery that is boxing. You couldn’t pay me enough to be a boxing promoter.
“Huge money”….hahahahaha. More like huge money flushed down the toilet.
Diego kissing ass again hahahaha
D showing how stupid and in experienced he is. A month doesn’t go by since boxing started where there wasn’t a beef, a killing, and now lawsuits. Nothing new, but I guess when all you have is google and you have never been to any kind of fight in person you look and post like a retard.
Haha. Sal is crazy.
“If a boxing person tells you the sun is out make sure you look out the window to be sure.”
-Dan Rafael
Yea but it works for boxing , everyone knows boxing is dirty, Dana and the girls are trying to make a snake look like a lolly pop. save the bullshit for a the virgin no nothings
Saldaqueef.
http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/13389347/demetrius-andrade-sues-roc-nation-sports
Now Andrade is suing Roc Nation as well. Apparently they were supposed to pay him NOT to fight. WTF?