PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS, the new series started this year by Al Haymon, is facing a lawsuit from Top Rank, Bob Arum’s promotional company. Previously, in May, Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya’s company, filed a $300 million lawsuit against Haymon alleging that his operations were violating antitrust laws and the Muhammad Ali Act, which enforces the separation between the roles of promoter and manager in boxing.
A statement issued on behalf of Haymon yesterday said: “The lawsuit filed today by Bob Arum and Top Rank is entirely without merit and is a cynical attempt by boxing’s old guard to use the courts to undermine the accessibility, credibility and exposure of boxing that the sport so desperately needs.
“The Premier Boxing Champions series makes boxing free again, by bringing championship boxing to free TV, with a fighter-first promise and a commitment to the fans to restore boxing to the luster of its heyday. The continued success of this effort will far outlast this baseless lawsuit.”
