With no fight looking likely in 2020, and smarting at a drastically reduced purse offer due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Canelo Alvarez has had enough.
The Mexican superstar has filed a legal suit against US broadcasters DAZN, promoter Oscar De La Hoya and his company Golden Boy Promotions, seeking to terminate their relationship over a failure to be paid his guaranteed $35 million purse or something approaching that figure. Canelo is also claiming damages of at least $280 million.
“I’m the pound-for-pound No. 1 in the world. I’m not scared of any opponent in the ring, and I’m not going to let failures of my broadcaster or promoters keep me out of the ring,” said Alvarez in a statement to the media. “I filed the lawsuit so I can get back to boxing and give my fans the show they deserve.”
Under his original 11-fight deal with DAZN, signed in October 2018, Canelo was supposed to fight over the Mexican holiday weekends in May and September every year for a guaranteed minimum of $35 million, directly from the $40 million DAZN would pay Golden Boy for each contest, after an initial $15 million for facing Rocky Fielding. This year, the Covid-19 Pandemic intervened and a live gate became impossible, but a compromise was unable to be found with Canelo apparently willing to fight behind closed doors.
Canelo (53-1-2, 36 KOs) is also pursuing punitive damages, lawyers’ fees, costs and, crucially, “A judicial determination that he is eligible to participate in bouts arranged and promoted by entities other than Golden Boy Promotions and broadcast by entities other than DAZN.”
His biggest fight this year will be outside of the ring.