By Rick Reeno
Most boxing fans have never heard of junior middleweight prospect Harry Joe Yorgey (21-0-1, 9KOs), but he's about to find himself in the middle of a legal battle over a televised date on ESPN's Friday Night Fights.
According to boxing manager Jimmy Deoria, if Yorgey proceeds with his upcoming bout with Jason Le Houllier (21-0, 8KOs), a lawsuit will be filed against promoter Art Pelullo of Banner Promotions, ESPN and other possible defendants.
Deoria claims the fight, scheduled for March 7 and televised by ESPN, is moving forward without his permission. The potential lawsuit will allege tortious interference of his managerial contract.
"This is a violation of my contract for Yorgey to fight on the card without my approval. I advised Pelullo, the casino and ESPN, the fight is a violation of my contract with Yorgey," Deoria said. "They are allowing this fight to happen when the manager has not signed off on the fight."
"My only problem with Mr. Pelullo is that he's advertising this fight without my consent. This fight will not happen and if they go through with the fight and it does happen, there will be a legal explosion on this whole thing."
Deoria was working on two fights for Yorgey, when the fighter advised him that he was planning to move in another direction.
"I was told, my fighter went to talk with Mr. Pelullo and he advised Yorgey and his father that Don Elbaum (Yorgey's advisor) and I can't get him on ESPN and he could. The first thing he offered him is the March 7th date," Deoria said. "I was working on a fight with James Moore in New York and Harry fighting Kassim Ouma in Philadelphia on a Russell Peltz card. Our lawyers have already sent letters to everyone that said there are valid contracts in place for Yorgey and this fight can not take place."
The facts of the case will ultimately be decided by a jury, if it ever gets to that point, but from a legal standpoint, the strongest part of the liability might fall on the fighter himself. Of course in cases like this, with multiple contracts involved, the liability can switch with each newfound fact.
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