Jay-Z and Roc Nation Sports filed a motion on Tuesday to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a former client, boxer Daniel Franco, arguing that negligent management led to his career-ending brain injury.
What We Know:
- Franco claimed that he suffered severe brain injuries after being scheduled for three fights in just 79 days, two of which ended in tough technical knockout losses.
- In the suit, which Franco filed in May, the featherweight boxer accused Jay-Z and Roc Nation of not getting “appropriate medical clearance” prior to another match against Jose Haro on June 10, 2017.
- Franco detailed that he came down with the flu before his match with Christoper Marin on March 23, 2017 and tried to back out because “he wasn’t able to properly train and prepare,” but insists Roc Nation pressured him to fight due to the difficulty of securing battles.
- Jay-Z’s lawyers said the suit doesn’t belong in Los Angeles County Superior Court because the boxer agreed in his contract that any disputes would be governed by New Jersey law and subject to arbitration.
- 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 allegedly wears a helmet at all times because he is missing a piece of his skull and is taking medication for seizures.
