Golden Boy, ABC, WBO Join In Pending Haymon Lawsuit

By Jake Donovan

The latest investigation into Al Haymon’s Haymon Boxing organization is now gaining a groundswell of support.

Sports Illustrated’

plans to file a lawsuit against the high-powered adviser as well as his financial backers. The foundation of the lawsuit stems from the insistence that Haymon is in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, which prohibits business activities deemed as anti-competitive.

News of Golden Boy’s plan came with the full support of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC). Longtime ABC President Tim Lueckenhoff personally submitted a six-page letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch encouraging a full-scale investigation as to whether or not Mr. Haymon is also violating the Muhammad Ali Act, which disallows any entity to act as both manager and promoter.

Lueckenhoff cited 15 U.S.C. § 6308 (b) of the Ali Act in pointing out that “it is unlawful for (A) a promoter to have a direct or indirect financial interest in the management of a boxer; or (B) a manager (i) to have a direct or indirect financial interest in the promotion of a boxer; or (ii) to be employed by or receive compensation or other benefits from a promoter, except for amounts received as consideration under the manager’s contract with the boxer.”

Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions series features several promoters serving as frontmen for his various event since its first edition on March 7 in Las Vegas. The promoters used in the series thus far have been Goossen Promotions, DiBella Entertainment, Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) Promotions and Warriors Boxing.

A small handful of fighters who’ve appeared on PBC cards thus far—most notably Adonis Stevenson (GYM) and Andy Lee (DiBella) are actually promoted by the aforementioned companies. The rest of the fighters—including the likes of Adrien Broner, Keith Thurman, Robert Guerrero, Danny Garcia, Lamont Peterson, Peter Quillin and Daniel Jacobs and Anthony Dirrell—have no promotional commitments other than an advisory agreement with Haymon.

Golden Boy Promotions once enjoyed a near-exclusive arrangement with Haymon, with the two entities creating a monopoly of sorts in terms of content provided to Showtime. The arrangement ended last year upon the implosion of Golden Boy, which led to the forced resignation of longtime CEO Richard Schaefer. Oscar de la Hoya—the Hall of Fame boxer and also Golden Boy founder and President—has assumed full control of the company and continues in an embroiled legal battle with Haymon.

Fighters such as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.—who recently inked with Haymon and made his debut on Showtime, albeit in a losing effort—are exceptions to the above listed rule, since his April 18 bout with Andrzej Fonfara was presented in part by his own promotional company, Chavez Promotions. Fighters are allowed to act as their own promoter, and thus work with managers in both capacities in regards to their own career.

Of growing concern to the boxing community is the manner in which Haymon has suddenly taken over the sport as it’s presented on network and cable TV. The PBC series has already appeared on NBC, NBC Sports Network, Spike TV and CBS, and with Haymon still enjoying a healthy relationship as seemingly the sole provider of boxing content on Showtime.

As his advisory stable of more than 150 fighters competes in essentially a league of their own, there also exists the concern and belief that Haymon plans to create his own PBC title.

Lueckenhoff also touched on that aspect in his letter, although admittedly with the ABC lacking first-hand knowledge or the ability to investigate further. It is the hope of the ABC that this is where the Attorney General’s office takes over.

“One of the expressed purposes of the Muhammad Ali Act was to regulate the sanctioning organizations which have proliferated in the boxing industry which have not established credible and objective criteria to rate professional boxers and operate with virtually no industry or public oversight,” noted Lueckenhoff, once again referring to 15 U.S.C. § 6308 (b).

“However it is obvious that the PBC is following the model used by MMA promoters (UFC and Bellator) which are not covered by the Muhammad Ali Act, to wit, having their own in house champions. Managers working with the PBC have publicly

.”

A PBC title has yet to emerge in any of the five events that have aired to date. However, what has been noted by observers is the absence of all alphabet titles, despite several among Haymon’s stables not only owning belts, but referred to in promotions as “champions.”

For example, Jacobs was recognized by event handlers and the Spike TV team as “the middleweight champion of the world” before and after his 12th round stoppage win over Caleb Truax on April 24 in Chicago. Badou Jack’s well-earned 12-round majority decision over previously unbeaten Anthony Dirrell on the same card was met with claims that he is now a super middleweight champion, despite no reference to the World Boxing Council (WBC) by name or visibility.

Adonis Stevenson’s 12-round win over Sakio Bika—which headlined the first edition of PBC on CBS—gained notoriety for a sequence underlying the series’ intention to focus solely on the fighters. The WBC—who recognizes Stevenson as its light heavyweight champ (Stevenson is also the World lineal champion)—attempted to have its belt prominently displayed on the ring apron during the telecast, only for ringside orders to have it removed.

There exists the argument that sanctioning bodies needn’t be acknowledged (this reporter in particular rarely if ever makes specific mention unless a story is solely about a sanctioning body), just as the PBC model disallows ring announcers, ring card girls or members of a fighter’s entourage to stand in ring prior to or after a fight.

However the threat of forming its own title has growing concern of favoritism among those who will get to contend for such a belt. It now also has the sanctioning bodies joining in on efforts to place Haymon’s organization under a microscope.

“I'm in agreement with the ABC's request to the US Attorney General to investigate Haymon,” Francisco ‘Paco’ Valcarcel, president of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) tweeted Thursday afternoon. “The time is right to investigate him & all of us!

“The World Boxing Organization is willing to cooperate with any investigation of the U.S. Attorney General for the betterment of the sport of boxing. As discussed in our WBO Convention in October, [the] Ali Act should define the "advisor" figure and penalties increased to 5 years in prison/($250,000 fine).”