JAY-Z and Roc Nation Sports filed a motion on Tuesday through their attorneys to dismiss the lawsuit brought by boxer Daniel Franco, arguing that his contract stipulates that any legal matters must be handled under New Jersey law and be subject to arbitration, the New York Daily Newsreports.
"Plaintiff cannot unilaterally decide to apply California law when he and Roc Nation Boxing expressly agreed to have the Promoter Agreement governed by New Jersey law," the motion states. Boxing promoter Dino Duva filed a declaration supporting the motion to dismiss, claiming Franco signed his deal in 2015 with Roc Nation Sports under the representation of "experienced manager" Ray Chaparro, who "proposed terms, added terms, and deleted terms" during contract negotiations.
Franco wants Roc Nation Sports to pay for damages in wake of the skull and brain injuries he suffered as a result of their allegedly "reckless and grossly negligent acts." In the lead-up to his sixth fight against Christopher Martin on March 23, 2017 under his contract with Roc Nation Sports, Franco claims he was dealing with the flu, and tried to back out of the match over his illness which "meant he wasn’t able to properly train and prepare."
Franco alleges Roc Nation Sports pressed him to go through with the match or encounter "difficulty securing future fights." He proceeded with the bout, and lost by technical knockout. Court docs claim Franco was scheduled for a fight on May 12, 2017, and another match against Jose Haro on June 10, 2017.
Franco accuses Roc Nation Sports of committing "an extreme departure" from the traditional boxing practice by failing to seek "appropriate medical clearance" prior to his match against Haro. The suit alleges he suffered "two skull fractures and a separate brain bleed that likely occurred in the two fights before the (Haro) match." His injuries may have only been made worse when he was knocked out by Haro in the eighth round of their bout.
"As a result of traumatic brain injury, Franco still suffers from devastating neurological and cognitive deficits, including difficulty with speech, motor function, ambulation and balance problems," court docs state. Franco must allegedly always wear a helmet because he's "still missing a piece of his skull," and take medication for seizures.
A hearing on the motion has been set for September 20.
