Derrick James Sues Errol Spence for Fraud, Breach of Contract

[Ruthless-RKO]

Derrick James Sues Errol Spence for Fraud, Breach of Contract

Less than a week after crafting the fight plan that paced his fighter to a glorious upset accompanied by an onslaught of brutal left hooks, trainer Derrick James has delivered a mighty legal punch of his own to former welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.

James has filed a lawsuit in Dallas County, Texas, seeking “no less than $5 million” from Spence for fraud and breach of contract for failing to fulfill promises to pay the trainer a 10 percent cut of his purse money – for bouts including Spence’s one-sided ninth-round TKO loss to Terence Crawford in July.

The lawsuit claims James “discovered Spence’s breach of contract, fraudulent business practices and misrepresentations after Spence received the $25 million guaranteed fight purse” for Crawford, but only first paid James $350,000 after his first, crushing defeat.

Spence has not commented on the matter.

Spence is reportedly bound to work with a new trainer while James directed Ryan Garcia to an upset of 140-pound champion Devin Haney on Saturday in New York, and is now preparing Frank Martin for a June 15 title shot against unbeaten Gervonta Davis.

In a Feb. 13 conversation, the lawsuit claims, Spence told James he “was not entitled to receive 10 percent of his guaranteed purse. … Spence asserted someone named ‘Al’ told him that paying James $350,000 for the Crawford fight in exchange for his training services was ‘generous.’”

Whether that individual is Spence’s longtime manager and Premier Boxing Champions head Al Haymon was not confirmed in the lawsuit.

James’ attorney wrote in the lawsuit that “no one named ‘Al’ was present when James and Spence originally entered into their agreement. … Any alleged reliance by Spence on advice from someone named ‘Al’ regarding James’ compensation is misplaced.”

Spence, the lawsuit claims, wound up telling James in a Feb. 15 phone call that he “did rob” James by shorting him, and added in a text message the next day that he “wanted to own up to his own s**t” and pay James the remaining $2.15 million that kept with their verbal agreement.

The fighter, according to the lawsuit, said the money would arrive the following week because he lacked “liquid” funds, but the remaining cut never arrived.

James’ attorney, Adraon D. Greene, wrote in the lawsuit that, “Unfortunately, ‘The Truth’ [Spence’s nickname] once again proved that he could not be trusted because he reneged on this written agreement to pay.”

James and Spence had worked together since before the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Their disagreement hinges on what constitutes a guaranteed fight purse. Spence is promised funds from a bout agreement, but he also receives the upside of pay-per-view sales, which send his total earnings spiraling upward.

Spence has not provided accounting for his pay-per-view bouts including victories over Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Yordenis Ugas and Crawford.

Yet Spence’s text message to James asking, “What’s the number [owed]? $2.15 million? Since I already paid you $350,000?” indicates acknowledgement of the 10 percent arrangement they kept throughout the years, James attorney claims.

“Mr. James relied on Mr. Spence’s promise to pay the full amount for the labor and services rendered,” attorney Greene wrote in the lawsuit. “Mr. Spence has failed to pay the full amount to Mr. James.

“The conduct of Mr. Spence is intentional, willful, malicious.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Errol Spence Sues Derrick James, Too: Argues Pay Was Consistent

Errol Spence Jr. filed his own lawsuit against his longtime trainer Derrick James hours before James’ claim landed in Dallas County civil court. In Spence’s filing, the former unified welterweight champion declares “he does not owe James any unpaid compensation.”

That contradicts James’ claim that Spence owes him “no less than $5 million” for the trainer’s verbally arranged 10% cut of Spence’s guaranteed purse money for a string of pay-per-view bouts, closing with Spence’s ninth-round TKO loss to Terence Crawford.

While James claimed in his lawsuit that he was owed 10% of both the money promised Spence in his bout agreements and his pay-per-view proceeds, Spence argues in his April 17 lawsuit that the fighter only owed James the 10% share of his “promoter-contestant contract.”

Spence’s lawsuit claims the Texas fighter, who was trained by James as an amateur before reaching the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, that Spence would pay James “a bonus for some, but not all, of the fights to emphasize the value that Spence placed on their relationship.”

“Spence and James’ oral agreement does not provide that James would be paid 10% of Spence’s total fight revenue, such that Spence is not required to pay James 10% of revenue tied to a fight generated from pay-per-view or otherwise,” Spence’s attorney, Jonathan R. Childers, wrote in his claim.

Spence affirms there was an oral agreement in place, created when he turned pro in 2012 and paid James $250 of his first $2,500 purse. Spence claims he consistently paid James 10% of his promoter-contestant contract earnings since.

“As Spence’s fame increased, so did James’,” the Spence lawsuit read.

As for the bonuses, Spence gave one to James following his comeback win over Danny Garcia following a crash of Spence’s Porsche in Dallas, but he did not deliver a bonus following the later unification victory over Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas.

“James accepted these payments with no complaint,” according to the Spence lawsuit.

James reported in his lawsuit that Spence made $25 million to fight Crawford, and produced a February text message in the evidence where Spence appears to concede he owed James another $2.15 million beyond the $350,000 he had previously paid him.

In James’ lawsuit, James claimed Spence told the trainer that “someone named Al” had told him that $350,000 was “generous.” It was not revealed if “Al” was Spence’s manager and Premier Boxing Champions founder Al Haymon.

Spence’s lawsuit claims that it wasn’t until February – six months after the Crawford loss – that James first requested to be paid 10% of the total fight revenue.

The Spence lawsuit contends James was given his proper 10% of the bout-agreement cut of $2.5 million, along with a $100,000 bonus.

“Thus,” the Spence lawsuit claims, “the standard course of performance between Spence and James occurred, for a 29th time.

“Spence is grateful for James’ longtime assistance, but is disappointed by James’ recent attempted overreach to try and abstain payment beyond their longstanding agreement and exceeding the scope of the services that James provided,” Childers wrote in the lawsuit.

James is seeking accounting for Spence’s earnings in all of his pay-per-view bouts, including his lucrative triumphs over Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Ugas.

Spence counters by seeking $250,000 or less from James, along with attorney fees.

[Thomastearns]

Modern day boxing is 99.9% about the money.

Isn't that right Mr Fury?
Oh, I'm sorry, in your case it should be 100%.
I stand corrected.

What's that Mr Usyk, you would disagree?

Good for you, Oleksandr!

[ksolomo1]

Just came back to this thread today and still can’t believe how badly things fell apart between them. If what’s in the lawsuit is true, this really sounds like what this page describes as fraud and breach of contract cases – and yeah, from what I’ve read there, these kinds of claims can actually lead to serious compensation

[Syntax Error]

I'd almost forgotten about Errol Spence Jr.

It would appear that in-between crashing cars and filing lawsuits, he hasn't got much time for fighting anymore.

He's in his mid 30s now and his prime must be disappearing over the horizon, if it hasn't done done so already.

[Cent0089]

Its not about car crashing and lawsuits. Crawford just beat the crap out of him. When you are ranked P4P one of the best and then took that kind of loss and beating, it is hard for some boxers to bounce back.

[Bobbyptsd]

Modern day boxing is 99.9% about the money.

Isn't that right Mr Fury?
Oh, I'm sorry, in your case it should be 100%.
I stand corrected.

What's that Mr Usyk, you would disagree?

Good for you, Oleksandr!

What the fornicate are you even on about.

[gilgamesh]

Its not about car crashing and lawsuits. Crawford just beat the crap out of him. When you are ranked P4P one of the best and then took that kind of loss and beating, it is hard for some boxers to bounce back.

In Spence's case. It's looking like it's hard to even think about trying to bounce back.

[Syntax Error]

If I were Spence Jr, I would call it a day.

It's clear that Crawford has taken not just his 0, but his soul with it.

If he isn't mentally strong enough to get back by now, there's no point in coming back.

He's 35 now and although that's no longer old in boxing, I do think it's too old if you're mentally not up to it anymore.

Spence has had a better career than most fighters ever to get in a boxing ring, so he can be proud of what he has achieved.