Canelo Alvarez has filed a lawsuit against Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy and DAZN after efforts to get into the ring be paid the agreed fee on his contract have fallen apart.
The boxing superstar signed a mega-bucks deal with the streaming service in 2018 that was set to see him earn a $35 million a fight. While that worked out for a time, DAZN made the agreement with Alvarez and his promoters at Golden Boy with the idea Canelo would be fighting at least one ‘premium’ opponent a year.
With the coronavirus bringing sports and businesses to a halt, DAZN have now started to push the issue that Alvarez needs to be facing foes that match up the huge payday he expects. While the Mexican was linked to contests with Billy Joe Saunders and Callum Smith, DAZN felt they lacked the star power of a Gennadiy Golovkin, whom Alvarez has faced twice in the past in two huge events.
Failing that, per veteran reporter Dan Rafael, Golovkin isn’t the only premium name DAZN execs came up with — but the others are somewhat out of left field, with Jorge Masvidal, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and the now supposedly unretired Oscar De La Hoya being considered as “premium.”
DAZN considers GGG "premium" but claims guys like Jacobs & Kovalev weren't (I strongly disagree, especially given what DAZN paid for them.) DAZN has also not given Canelo a list of those are would be considered "premium" foes. (more)
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) September 9, 2020
It seems unfair/unrealistic to give guy only one bona fide choice to fight in GGG when the contract doesn't specify that, according to the suit. To not consider Jacobs, Kovalev or Smith "premium" opponents is not legit to me. (more)
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) September 9, 2020
While none of those fights seem plausible, it seems likely Alvarez won’t be seen inside the ropes this year.
