Highlights
- Rising boxer Ryan Garcia has challenged Errol Spence amid a legal battle involving trainer Derrick James, escalating tensions in the boxing world.
- Garcia credits James for win over Devin Haney, calls him a father figure; lawsuit alleges Spence’s breach of contract with James post-Crawford fight.
- Spence admitted to shortchanging James in phone call, promised to pay owed $2.15 million but failed to deliver, emphasizing lack of trustworthiness.
Rising boxing star Ryan Garcia has thrown down the gauntlet to former welterweight world champion Errol Spence amidst a legal battle involving their shared trainer, Derrick James. Garcia’s fiery challenge comes in the wake of James filing a lawsuit against Spence, alleging fraud and breach of contract.
The saga began before Garcia’s recent victory over Devin Haney, where he credited trainer Derrick James played a pivotal role in orchestrating the win. He also described James as a father figure in his post-fight press conference. Tensions escalated as news surfaced that James had initiated legal proceedings against Spence, seeking damages of no less than $5 million.
Spence, who parted ways with James following his loss to Terence Crawford in July 2023, is now embroiled in a legal dispute, countering James’ claims in an attempt to dismiss the lawsuit.
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Ryan Garcia Issues A Challenge To Errol Spence
‘King Ry’ Threatens To Knockout The Former Unified Champ
In a video addressing Spence directly, Garcia minced no words, declaring, “Yo Spence has got beef with my coach. What’s good? Come see me. You want to sue him, I want to beat you up. That is facts, … knock out Errol nice.”
The lawsuit filed by James alleges that he discovered Spence’s purported breach of contract and fraudulent business practices following the Crawford fight.
In a discussion dated February 13th, as stated in the lawsuit, Errol Spence allegedly informed Derrick James that he was not entitled to his agreed-upon 10 percent of Spence’s guaranteed purse for their collaboration in training. Spence purportedly cited advice from an individual referred to as “Al,” suggesting that compensating James $350,000 for his services during the Crawford fight was deemed “generous.”
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While it was not explicitly confirmed in the legal document, whether this “Al” refers to Spence’s long-standing manager and Premier Boxing Champions head, Al Haymon, remains uncertain. According to Boxing Scene, the lawsuit, as presented by James’ attorney, contends that no one named “Al” was present during the initial agreement between James and Spence. Therefore, any reliance by Spence on counsel from an individual named “Al” regarding James’ compensation is deemed misplaced.
According to the lawsuit, Spence later admitted to James during a phone call on February 15th that he had shortchanged him, remarking that he “did rob” James. Moreover, in a subsequent text message the following day, Spence expressed a desire to take responsibility for his actions and fulfill their verbal agreement by paying James the remaining $2.15 million owed.
Despite Spence’s assurances that the funds would be forthcoming the following week due to a lack of “liquid” assets, James never received the outstanding amount. The lawsuit, penned by attorney Adraon D. Greene, asserts that Spence’s failure to honor their agreement demonstrates a lack of trustworthiness on his part, emphasizing that Spence reneged on his written commitment to pay.
James and Spence had collaborated during his amateur and pro career, making their current dispute particularly contentious. Central to their disagreement is the interpretation of what constitutes a guaranteed fight purse. While Spence is assured funds from a bout agreement, his earnings also encompass a share of pay-per-view revenues, substantially augmenting his total income.
