Alvarez sues DAZN, Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya

Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez is suing longtime promoter Oscar De La Hoya and streaming service DAZN over their alleged failure to deliver as promised on a $365m contract.

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/7...ya-boxing-sue/

I actually respect Canelo for this. DAZN made a dumb move with that contract. It was too long and too much money. Basically they couldn’t control who he fought well enough and kept rejecting certain opponents.

This isn’t like a sports league to where you know who you are playing. There are way too many factors for fighters because there are two sides and you aren’t always going to get who you want. And the pandemic really threw off the economics of boxing. That’s a risk you take when you contract someone for so long. You have no idea how it’s going to turn out.

DAZN made a stupid move, no doubt about that. The greed in boxing is only surpassed by the sheer stupidity of the people making the moves. And yes... the pandemic was an unpredictable circumstance that has thrown the proverbial monkey wrench into long-term contracts such as this one.

Yet not long ago, some of us were singing the praises of DAZN for refusing to knuckle under to Canelo and his protection agency, the WBC, for laughingly suggesting Canelo face Avni Yildirim for yet another meaningless trinket.

DAZN is the big loser in all of this. Damned if they do.... damned if they don't. Forced by the pandemic to almost be strong-armed by Canelo and his people to allow him to face whatever cadaver they put in front of him.

Is it DAZN's responsibility to get a deal worked out with the REAL, LIVE opponents that exist out there for Canelo?? Like the white elephant in the room??



No. So zero respect from this side....... and make of that what you will, since you obviously know why I don't like Canelo.

I can’t fault Canelo for taking the deal. This is on DAZN. There should have been major stipulations in the contract for his fights. I remember when they first set the contract I had a lot of questions about it. Basically at this point, they are proving that the contract was completely ridiculous. It seemed to give Canelo anything that he wanted. Again, this is on DAZN.

No one faults Canelo for taking this deal.

If my place of employment offered me a long-term contract for multiples times what my work was worth, without any regards for future occurrences or developments..... I'd snatch it up faster than you could say "coddling."

DAZN behaved stupidly, and Canelo & Co. were only too happy to take advantage.

Of course it's on DAZN. No one is claiming otherwise.

It doesn't change the fact that Canelo & Co. have wanted to force cadavers down DAZN's collective throat.

In case you're wondering.... it makes no difference what nationality Canelo happens to be.

I bet Covid will have a big part to play in the outcome of all this, technically Canelo has DAZN by the balls here

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smashup

I bet Covid will have a big part to play in the outcome of all this, technically Canelo has DAZN by the balls here

---

Yeah. Actually it was kind of a "perfect storm". DAZN, an upstart streaming service desperate to carve itself a niche in boxing.... throwing caution to the wind and going after the biggest draw (not the best... just the biggest draw) in boxing. On the other hand you've got a savvy GBP, knowing full well they have the product being slobbered over by DAZN. Someone at DAZN had a brain freeze and thought they were going to make out like bandits. Instead... they get stuck with a pampered fighter who also happens to be protected by a major boxing org. At first DAZN could exert some muscle and reject the "Cadaver-For-Trinket" shams proposed by GBP and their willing benefactor. But as the pandemic took hold, things changed. Everything's in place to provide the leverage Canelo needs to sue DAZN and claim he's being denied his (cough) rightful place as the sport's p4p.

I can only hope this blows up in Canelo's face.

I knew that there was no way that DAZN was going to pay out that entire contract.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TitoFan

No one faults Canelo for taking this deal.

If my place of employment offered me a long-term contract for multiples times what my work was worth, without any regards for future occurrences or developments..... I'd snatch it up faster than you could say "coddling."

DAZN behaved stupidly, and Canelo & Co. were only too happy to take advantage.

Of course it's on DAZN. No one is claiming otherwise.

It doesn't change the fact that Canelo & Co. have wanted to force cadavers down DAZN's collective throat.

In case you're wondering.... it makes no difference what nationality Canelo happens to be.

---

The issue is that they are saying that Canelo wasn’t taking enough “premier” fights. The issue with that is that’s subjective. I guess DAZN is claiming that Jacobs and Kovalev weren’t “premier” fights but fighting Oscar in his comeback fight would be as well as fighting UFC fighters like Masvidal and Khabib.

Again, it’s all subjective so DAZN has no ground to stand on. It’s just a bad move to contract that many fights for that many years in boxing. It’s way too hard to make every fight a “premier” fight for the most part especially if you aren’t obviously an ATG like Pacquiao or Mayweather.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by powerpuncher

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TitoFan

No one faults Canelo for taking this deal.

If my place of employment offered me a long-term contract for multiples times what my work was worth, without any regards for future occurrences or developments..... I'd snatch it up faster than you could say "coddling."

DAZN behaved stupidly, and Canelo & Co. were only too happy to take advantage.

Of course it's on DAZN. No one is claiming otherwise.

It doesn't change the fact that Canelo & Co. have wanted to force cadavers down DAZN's collective throat.

In case you're wondering.... it makes no difference what nationality Canelo happens to be.

---

The issue is that they are saying that Canelo wasn’t taking enough “premier” fights. The issue with that is that’s subjective. I guess DAZN is claiming that Jacobs and Kovalev weren’t “premier” fights but fighting Oscar in his comeback fight would be as well as fighting UFC fighters like Masvidal and Khabib.

Again, it’s all subjective so DAZN has no ground to stand on. It’s just a bad move to contract that many fights for that many years in boxing. It’s way too hard to make every fight a “premier” fight for the most part especially if you aren’t obviously an ATG like Pacquiao or Mayweather.

---

You seem like a serious boxing fan, so naturally I'm surprised to see you jump to conclusions regarding what "DAZN is claiming about Jacobs and Kovalev." I'd be interested to see any quotes you can reference showing exactly that. It would be odd though, given that those fights went off and became the 1st two fights under the new contract. I'd be even MORE interested in your claim that DAZN considers ancient DLH and UFC fighters as premier fights for Canelo. If in fact they feel that way, shame on them for contributing to Canelo's overblown (cough) "legend."

Understand I'm in no way defending DAZN. They deserve whatever they get for sheer greed and stupidity. A 10-fight contract with Ginger. What the HELL were they thinking??

As for your last statement, it's bewildering to say the least. Canelo calls himself the world's #1 p4p, and apparently has some boxing orgs behind him. So that would put him in ATG territory (perish the thought) and according to you would then allow us to expect "premier" fights every time out. Except that in Canelo's case they dug up Avni-fukking-Yildirim as a sacrificial lamb to get Canelo another useless trinket. Luckily DAZN still had a leg to stand on and they seriously couldn't stomach the opponent.

We never had this maddening situation with the Pacs and the Floyds.

Canelo obviously has a beef with DAZN.

Its just a shame its tainted

Canelo Alvarez's fight plan should look familiar

Pay him — or else.

That’s the implied threat in the lawsuit that Canelo Alvarez filed this week against promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions, as well as streaming broadcast partner DAZN.

In addition to more than $280 million in damages, Alvarez is asking for the freedom to fight on shows promoted by entities other than Golden Boy and broadcast by companies other than DAZN.

In essence, he’s demanding control over his career.

Similar to how De La Hoya did.

Ironically, De La Hoya was the fighter who fundamentally changed the power dynamic between box-office champions and the companies that stage their fights.

Twenty years ago, De La Hoya sued Bob Arum to break his promotional contact with Top Rank. He won.

The two sides briefly reconciled, but De La Hoya eventually made their split permanent when he became his own promoter.

The fighter was now the boss, a mind-set adopted by Floyd Mayweather Jr., who succeeded De La Hoya as the sport’s top attraction.

Mayweather once paid $750,000 to break his contract with Top Rank.

Mayweather continued working with promoters, but under his terms. He didn’t work for the promoter. The promoter worked for him. Mayweather absorbed more risk. He also gained more upside.

So, if history was a guide, Alvarez was bound to try to venture out on his own.

What prevented this from happening earlier was the record-breaking offer he received from Golden Boy, an 11-fight deal for $365 million. The contract stipulated Golden Boy would pay Alvarez $15 million to take on 168-pound champion Rocky Fielding and $30 million per fight thereafter.

Golden Boy had a separate contract with DAZN, which agreed to pay it a $20-million licensing fee for every card that was headlined by Alvarez.

In his complaint, Alvarez said he was unaware that DAZN signed its deal with Golden Boy under the assumption the promotion company would deliver a fight between him and Gennady Golovkin. Alvarez’s deal with Golden Boy included no such stipulation. In fact, Alvarez said in his court filing that Golden Boy was obligated to pay him an additional

https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/SG...f4065c75daf721

$25 million if he agreed to take on Golovkin.

Alvarez and Golovkin fought twice on HBO’s pay-per-view arm. Both fights generated well over a million pay-per-view buys.

The only Alvarez fight that sold better was his loss to Mayweather.

A subscription service, DAZN figured it could increase its customer base by streaming a third fight between Alvarez and Golovkin. DAZN was invested enough in the plan to sign Golovkin to a separate $100-million contract.

Alvarez fought twice on DAZN in 2019, defeating Daniel Jacobs and Sergey Kovalev. Not until he showed an interest in fighting Kovalev was Alvarez made aware that DAZN was displeased with his choice of opponents, according to his complaint. Alvarez said he didn’t know DAZN had the right to reject his opponents based on the terms of its deal with Golden Boy.

DAZN accepted Jacobs and Kovalev, but no more. If Golden Boy couldn’t produce a Golovkin fight, DAZN wouldn’t pay the $40-million licensing fee — and it hasn’t. Alvarez hasn’t fought this year.

Who knows if the relationships are salvageable? In retrospect, it has become evident that DAZN overpaid for boxing in a desperate attempt to gain a foothold in the U.S. market. It’s also become clear that Alvarez doesn’t trust De La Hoya or Golden Boy.

If the three-way partnership falls apart, the question is what will come next.

When De La Hoya became his own promoter, he fought less but made sure his fights were cultural events by having them on Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day.

Mayweather adopted a particularly unlikable public persona, figuring it made no difference to him whether fans paid to watch him lose.

In the cases of De La Hoya and Mayweather, they had visions for their careers. They also received the advice necessary to execute their plans, De La Hoya from Richard Schaefer and Mayweather from Al Haymon. And when they triumphed, boxing triumphed.

The sport hasn’t enjoyed many victories lately. More than ever, boxing needs the kind of vision that De La Hoya and Mayweather provided.

Alvarez could deliver that if he becomes a promotional free agent, in which case this legal mess would benefit

not only him, but the entire

sport.

https://news.yahoo.com/column-canelo...034205508.html

A federal judge in California on Friday dismissed Canelo Alvarez’s lawsuit against DAZN, Golden Boy Promotions and Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya on technical legal grounds, and gave Alvarez until Sept. 28 to refile the suit correctly.

Assuming the suit is refiled correctly, there are two astonishing allegations in the suit that are related.

First, the suit alleges that De La Hoya gave the final right to approve Alvarez’s opponents to both Alvarez and DAZN. Alvarez had that right in his Oct. 17 agreement he signed with Golden Boy, but the suit alleges DAZN acquired that right in its deal with Golden Boy that was finalized on Oct. 11 in exchange for the right to broadcast Alvarez’s fights.

Sources said Alvarez was furious when he discovered that, and the DAZN deal nearly fell apart at the last minute. According to his suit, “Notably, the Alvarez Contract did not mention that DAZN would have any right to accept or reject any opponents selected by Alvarez.”

That’s when the second, even more astounding allegation comes in. Paragraph 31 of Alvarez’s original lawsuit notes that De La Hoya personally guaranteed liability for DAZN’s payments to Alvarez.

Thus, De La Hoya could potentially be on the hook for the $280 million Alvarez is seeking in the suit.

https://s.yimg.com/it/api/res/1.2/70...b-a88975e7628a

The suit notes that DAZN agreed to pay Golden Boy $40 million per Alvarez bout, and Alvarez was to get $35 million of that each fight. The suit said that Golden Boy received a “reduced license fee,” for the Dec. 15 bout with Rocky Fielding. Alvarez was paid $15 million for that fight, the suit reported, but Golden Boy’s share is unknown.

Paragraph 31 makes a considerable allegation against De La Hoya. It reads:

The Alvarez Contract required Golden Boy to pay Alvarez guaranteed payments totaling $365 million for his next eleven boxing matches ($15 million for the December 2018 bout with Rocky Fielding and $35 million dollars for each of his next ten bouts thereafter), expected to be on or about May 5 and September 16 of the years 2019 to 2023. Pursuant to the Alvarez Contract, Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions’ CEO, personally assumed liability for all guaranteed payments.

As part of the deal it made to bring Alvarez’s fights to DAZN, Golden Boy negotiated another deal with the streaming service to put its other shows on DAZN.

This was critical for Golden Boy because less than three weeks prior to Alvarez signing with DAZN, HBO announced it would no longer do boxing following an Oct. 27, 2018, card. At that point, Golden Boy rivals Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions had television output deals. Top Rank had a long-term deal with ESPN while the PBC was working with Fox and Showtime.

It would have been a killer for Golden Boy not to have a deal with a broadcast service that would have produced regular income for it.

That irritated Alvarez as well. Though none of the parties have commented publicly, several sources have said Alvarez’s issues are more with De La Hoya personally and Golden Boy than with DAZN. ESPN Deportes quoted Alvarez manager Eddy Reynoso as saying, “It would be a lie to say that we have a great relationship [with Golden Boy]. We already had some disagreements behind the scenes. There wasn’t a great relationship.”

Alvarez and DAZN did not have a contract with each other. The contracts at issue in this case were between Alvarez, Golden Boy and De La Hoya on one side and Golden Boy, De La Hoya and DAZN on the other.

The lawsuit also would allow DAZN’s lawyers to talk directly with Alvarez and his lawyers. If there is no lawsuit, Golden Boy could accuse DAZN of tortious interference in their deal.

Though the suit has been withdrawn, this case isn’t going away any time soon.

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/making-t...181859759.html

:lolololol:

Ginger, Fishnets, and DAZN all going after each other in court. :D

Priceless....

Oscar better start pole dancing for some big money. Extra coke and black, sunken-in eyes

I'm trying to understand what is Canelo's concern. Is this a major part of the problem DLH got dealt:

This was critical for Golden Boy because less than three weeks prior to Alvarez signing with DAZN, HBO announced it would no longer do boxing following an Oct. 27, 2018, card. At that point, Golden Boy rivals Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions had television output deals. Top Rank had a long-term deal with ESPN while the PBC was working with Fox and Showtime.



If, so, than that is understandable why DAZN came into play. A backup plan? Canelo has gotten some really heavy bread for a solid fighter, not a GOAT contender by any stretch of the imagination.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SlimTrae

I'm trying to understand what is Canelo's concern. Is this a major part of the problem DLH got dealt:

This was critical for Golden Boy because less than three weeks prior to Alvarez signing with DAZN, HBO announced it would no longer do boxing following an Oct. 27, 2018, card. At that point, Golden Boy rivals Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions had television output deals. Top Rank had a long-term deal with ESPN while the PBC was working with Fox and Showtime.



If, so, than that is understandable why DAZN came into play. A backup plan? Canelo has gotten some really heavy bread for a solid fighter, not a GOAT contender by any stretch of the imagination.

---

Canelo's concern? In my (totally biased) opinion, it's that the well-oiled machinery that is his career development ran into a glitch. A glitch of the type Canelo is not used to. In the past, Canelo's influence alone and his cozy relationship with the WBC got him fights against subpar or totally degraded opponents for vacant, or even so far as "made-up" titles.

Once you get used to that, it's tough to hear all of a sudden that so-and-so is not being allowed as an opponent because, frankly....... we need someone credible. That is hard to digest when you've gotten used to getting your way throughout over 50 fights in your career. Solid fighter? Absolutely. But before Canelo, it was unheard of having "solid fighters" being figuratively carried around on golden thrones.

There's a Silver Lining here, though: ;D ;D

Not all of us were thrilled when HBO left boxing and DAZN swooped in and attempted to take over the way we've always watched boxing. It was headed toward "either you subscribe to DAZN or don't watch boxing." A nose-thumbing at fans in general. But now DAZN is getting it's legal ass kicked... and I couldn't be happier. It's like when two enemies of yours start a war with each other and end up blowing each other to bits....... and you're sitting on the sidelines eating popcorn. I hope this legal mumbo-jumbo between Canelo and DAZN (and GBP) drags on till Canelo's hair turns gray, and DLH has a middle-aged paunch. F*ck 'em.

Meanwhile, fans are rediscovering that there's PLENTY of life in boxing without the likes of Canelo and his Hype Machine.

Tito, do you mean "well-Vaselined machine" that is Canelo's team? 🤭😁

DAZN and Golden Balls may try to use a defence that involves Force Majeure because of the pandemic. Businesses all over the world have been unable to comply with contracts because of the restrictions due to the pandemic.

So Canelo suing in the middle of a pandemic when the courts won’t even hear his case for at least a year is strange. It is time for him to leave DeadZone though and pull a Mayweather and start to promoting himself. His fanbase won't turn on him for this. Hell, with the reputation boxing has for screwing fighters, he may come out of this with MORE fans.

Or he could go back to Showtime. Espinoza remains a huge admirer yet has a personal beef with Oscar. And Dazn can focus on building young lions like Ryan Garcia, Vergil Ortiz and Devin Haney. A non English speaking fighter will always be hard for them to sell subs outside of Canelo’s base.

But ESPN would match Nelo hard. You seen that with Wilder Vs Fury. They demand that the best fight the best because boxing is like this, you can walk the line and no one pays attention. However walk a tight rope 500 ft up and we can’t turn away.

Everyone would have watched Canelo vs Andrade, Billy Joe Sanders, Callum Smith, Big Charlo, David Benevidez or Artur Beterbiev. These are great fights. Though he would start as the fav in all of them. it's far from certain he would win, so they never happened.

It would be interesting to see how taking a loss impacts Canelo contractually. They were really idiots if they said losing voids the agreement. That would explain why Canelo has been choosing safer opponents and kind judges.

I just hope there's not an Andre Ward situation were Canelo sits out for a couple of years. Ward kept suing Goosen and losing. Then appealing and losing. That case would probably still be in court if Dan Goosen didn't die.

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/Oldfashion...restricted.gif

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Denilson3.0

DAZN and Golden Balls may try to use a defence that involves Force Majeure because of the pandemic. Businesses all over the world have been unable to comply with contracts because of the restrictions due to the pandemic.

So Canelo suing in the middle of a pandemic when the courts won’t even hear his case for at least a year is strange. It is time for him to leave DeadZone though and pull a Mayweather and start to promoting himself. His fanbase won't turn on him for this. Hell, with the reputation boxing has for screwing fighters, he may come out of this with MORE fans.

Or he could go back to Showtime. Espinoza remains a huge admirer yet has a personal beef with Oscar. And Dazn can focus on building young lions like Ryan Garcia, Vergil Ortiz and Devin Haney. A non English speaking fighter will always be hard for them to sell subs outside of Canelo’s base.

But ESPN would match Nelo hard. You seen that with Wilder Vs Fury. They demand that the best fight the best because boxing is like this, you can walk the line and no one pays attention. However walk a tight rope 500 ft up and we can’t turn away.

Everyone would have watched Canelo vs Andrade, Billy Joe Sanders, Callum Smith, Big Charlo, David Benevidez or Artur Beterbiev. These are great fights. Though he would start as the fav in all of them. it's far from certain he would win, so they never happened.

It would be interesting to see how taking a loss impacts Canelo contractually. They were really idiots if they said losing voids the agreement. That would explain why Canelo has been choosing safer opponents and kind judges.

I just hope there's not an Andre Ward situation were Canelo sits out for a couple of years. Ward kept suing Goosen and losing. Then appealing and losing. That case would probably still be in court if Dan Goosen didn't die.

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/Oldfashion...restricted.gif

---

Well said.

Anyone tuning on for DAZN tomorrow night..with Chavez Jr headlining ;D and poppa Chavez in his exhibition vs Arce. Had to laugh at first and then realized that Chavez Sr v Arce may very well be more entertaining than anything Jr does in the ring ;D:-X. Now I'm just confused. It's stuff like this that ensures DAZN will come clamoring back to the table with Canelo and Oscar regardless of multiple fingers pointing. They lose Nelo or AJ manages to get pole axed somehow, they're pretty farked.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Spicoli

Anyone tuning on for DAZN tomorrow night..with Chavez Jr headlining ;D and poppa Chavez in his exhibition vs Arce. Had to laugh at first and then realized that Chavez Sr v Arce may very well be more entertaining than anything Jr does in the ring ;D:-X. Now I'm just confused. It's stuff like this that ensures DAZN will come clamoring back to the table with Canelo and Oscar regardless of multiple fingers pointing. They lose Nelo or AJ manages to get pole axed somehow, they're pretty farked.

---

how can I get DAZN if I dont have cable TV?

DAZN offered Canelo Alvarez restructured deal that would pay him $20M per fight

DAZN wants Canelo Alvarez to stick around, but not at $35 million per fight. The streaming service reportedly offered Alvarez a restructured contract that would pay Alvarez $20 million guaranteed per fight, according to The Athletic.

Alvarez, 30, is suing DAZN and Oscar De La Hoya’s promotion firm Golden Boy for $280 million after DAZN didn’t want to approve another Alvarez fight against a lesser opponent.

The three entities met Tuesday to discuss the issue. The meeting reportedly lasted 10 hours, and resulted in Alvarez being offered a restructured deal that would pay him $20 million per fight, according to The Athletic.

DAZN offered Alvarez a restructured deal during the mediation process, sources said, that would pay the Mexican icon upward of $20 million guaranteed per fight, along with upside tied to how many DAZN subscribers each event generates. The offer is similar in structure to the way boxers are paid for pay-per-view events, where they earn a certain amount of dollars for every show purchase over a certain plateau.

Alvarez is reportedly considering that offer.

Why is Canelo Alvarez suing DAZN and Golden Boy?
In 2018, Alvarez signed a massive $365 million with DAZN. Under that deal, Alvarez was expected to have 11 fights on the streaming service. Alvarez would receive $15 million for the first fight, but would be paid $35 million per fight for the remaining 10 bouts.

Alvarez has fought twice under the new deal, but claims he only received half his guaranteed money. DAZN reportedly did not want to pay Alvarez the full $35 million if Alvarez wasn’t going to take on a premier opponent. Alvarez reportedly has final say over his opponents, though that’s a highly contested point of the lawsuit.

https://s.yimg.com/it/api/res/1.2/.P...3-c098b4b303e9

Alvarez filed the lawsuit in September, but it was dismissed due to an error. Alvarez can still refile the lawsuit, but has until Monday to make that move. If Alvarez refiles, that would indicate he’s still unhappy and wants to push the issue further. If he does not file, it could indicate Alvarez will accept DAZN’s restructured deal — or at least that Alvarez believes he can amicably negotiate with DAZN after its latest offer.

If Alvarez wants to return to the ring in 2020, he’ll need to come to an agreement with DAZN soon. Alvarez’s next bout likely wouldn’t come against Gennadiy Golovkin, but that could eventually come down the road.

Under DAZN’s restructured offer, Alvarez could make more money if he brings in new subscribers. Committing to a fight against Golovkin is one way to make that happen.

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/report-d...221053749.html