Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with a statement from Ryan Garcia’s litigation attorney.
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Golden Boy Promotions sued Ryan Garcia and his attorney in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada to force the famous boxer to honor his contract with the advertising agency, according to a court document obtained by Boxing Junkie have been.
Garcia signed a five-year contract in the fall of 2019. However, Golden Boy said in the lawsuit that Garcia considers the contract “null and unenforceable.”
Golden Boy accused Garcia’s attorney, Lupe Valencia, of “promoting the relationship” between his client and the company and driving him away from his obligations.
“Unfortunately, Garcia’s advisors clearly convinced him that he no longer needed the Golden Boy,” the lawsuit states. “One of those advisors, Valencia, for the past year or so has directly interfered with the Golden Boy’s ability to communicate with Garcia and negotiate the best deals and matches for Garcia. In fact, Valencia, a direct violation of the Golden Boy’s
Deal with Garcia, entered into negotiations with other promoters and boxers for Garcia’s fights. Valencia did so despite being fully aware of the Agreement and its terms and orchestrated an attempt to create a split between Garcia and the Golden Boy.”
Golden Boy released a statement on Friday regarding the lawsuit: “Golden Boy is very proud to have worked with Ryan Garcia over the past few years and helped propel him to stardom leading up to the Pay Per Boxing event. The biggest view of the year just two months ago. With this record, we are looking to ensure that Ryan and his team will honor the rest of his contract, a contract that Ryan himself calls ‘one of the lucrative boxing contracts’ for a prospect in the sport’s history.’ Since then, Ryan has become a legitimate competitor, and we will continue to present Ryan to the best possible opponents to eventually lead the way to world championships and a historic legacy.”
Garcia’s litigation attorney, James “Bo” Pearl, said in the official statement that the lawsuit is retaliation for Garcia’s request for mediation.
The statement read: “The Golden Boy has an obligation to promote and elevate Ryan Garcia, not to defame him on Twitter, and to file a public, unfounded lawsuit against him. Ironically, the lawsuit itself violates the very agreement the Golden Boy is seeking to enforce. It was in apparent retaliation to Ryan’s written request last week to mediate Golden Boy’s multiple breach of contract. Instead of resolving these serious issues in mediation (as required by the contract), Golden Boy rushed to court to sue his boxer. To be sure, we will match this gaming skill and fully enforce all of Ryan’s contractual rights to the Golden Boy and his rights under state and federal law.”
The head-to-head conflict between his 140-pound opponent and his advertising agency reached a climax after a knockout loss to Gervonta Davis in a 136-pound bout on April 22.
Golden Boy executives Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins did not appear at the post-fight press conference, neither did coach Joe Goossen.
Garcia broke up with Goossen and made other changes to his camp shortly after the battle but he hasn’t made any announcements about his future with the Golden Boy.
However, a war of words between Garcia and De La Hoya, the founder of Golden Boy, on Twitter a few weeks ago made it clear that the relationship was fractured.
Garcia questioned the loyalty of De La Hoya and his team, to which the promoter turned boxer of the Hall of Fame responded: “Wtf @RyanGarcia it’s been almost two months and you’re still crying about the poster? You and your Lupe “advisor” are responsible for your loss. He’s the only one pushing you to accept that CRAZY rehydration clause and THAT’S why you lost. Try your best. Own that.”
Garcia responded to that tweet: “Okay man, you’ve got it all figured out. Tired of you disrespecting my whole career and you think no[e] its important. Loyalty and common sense are lost in your head. Stop treating people that way and think they’ll accept it.”
Then came the lawsuit, which Golden Boy claimed was inevitable given the circumstances.
“Golden Boy is forced to file this lawsuit to protect and enforce its interests under the Agreement so that it can continue to deliver the best games for Garcia and his fans, and at the same time prevent Valencia and others interfere with Golden Boy’s rights,” the lawsuit reads. .
The relationship between Garcia and the Golden Boy deteriorated in 2019. However, the contract extension seems to have resolved their differences.
Garcia, 21 years old at the time, couldn’t be more pleased with the deal.
“Actions speak louder than words,” he said, according to ESPN. “I am here today to show everyone that I consider the Golden Boy my family and that we will be here together as I make my dreams come true. Just as I had every possibility to become a big star, the Golden Boy had all the tools to get me there. But I just want to say to all our fans: Enjoy the ride!”
Davis knocked out Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) with a hit to the body in Round 7 of their match, which generated 1.2 million pay-per-view buys in the United States. Garcia dropped from 140 to 136 and accepted the rehydration clause to continue the fight, which some considered unwise.
Garcia is now expected to campaign in 140th place. He is ranked in the Top 10 by all four major sanctioning agencies.
