Judge: Haymon Not A Promoter

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions that claimed manager Al Haymon was also a boxing promoter in violation of the law.

– Al Haymon

Haymon Sports has built a boxing empire in a field being overshadowed by MMA, compiling an army of more than 200 fighters and giving them airtime on major networks through a reported $500 million investment from a Kansas firm.

Golden Boy Promotions contended that Haymon was using sham promoters to bypass the Ali Act, which requires that managers cannot also be promoters.

Veteran promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank filed a similar complaint against Haymon, which was settled last year. “Plaintiffs have been unable to present any evidence of harm to competition,” U.S. District Judge John Walter wrote in his decision.

“Instead, plaintiffs have merely presented evidence of harm to themselves.” Walter noted that Golden Boy had produced successful cards while the lawsuit was pending, according to the Los Angeles Times.