How many fighters have, over the years, sued legendary promoter Don King? It’s a lot, put it that way, and now the number is set to increase by one, as Daniel Dubois is reportedly set to file a lawsuit against King for non-payment. Dubois claims he has not yet been paid for his June 11 fight with King fighter Trevor Bryan; who Dubois KO’d to take a version of the WBA heavyweight title.
King surprised many by winning the purse bids battle, securing the fight with a $3.1 million bid, and right away plenty of people wondered how King would make his money back – the Dubois-Bryan card not shifting many tickets at the Miami Casino, Miami Jai-Alai and going out for just £29.99 on PPV. Dubois has not yet been paid his purse money, the sum being $1.4 million, or 45 percent of the winning purse. Due to all the other legal issues, Dubois is set to sue King for between $463,274.32 and $938,274.32.
Big Fight Weekend first reported this news. Don King had this to say to boxingnews.co.
King of course knows his way around a court room and not every fighter who took him there won their case. And King, via an official statement from his attorney, is saying that he has paid Dubois all that he is entitled to receive. Don’t be surprised if this one drags and drags.
If the case does drag on, it’s not clear how it might affect Dubois’ career; whether it will distract him or even keep him busy and away from training and focusing on his next fight. Recently, Manuel Charr also filed suit against King, claiming that the promoter deliberately ruined his chances of obtaining the travel visa he needed to be able to fight Bryan. To repeat, this kind of thing is nothing new to King or to people who know his history.
Will Dubois wind up getting all of the money he says he is owed? Your guess is as good as mine. The question that springs easily to mind is, why have so many fighters done business with King in the first place!