Golden Boy Promotions sues boxer Jhonny Gonzalez a day prior to fight with Gary Russell

Golden Boy Promotions sent another strong message to its fighters who might otherwise be thinking of dealing with manager Al Haymon on the side, as the company filed a lawsuit against boxer Jhonny Gonzalez and promoter Promociones del Pueblo for breach of contract, alleging that those two named defendants conspired with Haymon to violate Golden Boy's exclusive rights to promote Gonzalez.

Haymon was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

In a press release, Golden Boy indicated that despite multiple attempts, Gonzalez, Promociones del Pueblo, and Haymon repeatedly refused to put on Saturday's fight between Gonzalez and Gary Russell, Jr., until they first cut Golden Boy out of the process.  Such conduct, Golden Boy contends, clearly violated the agreement between the boxer and promoter.

"Golden Boy's contract with Jhonny Gonzalez couldn't be clearer - the company has exclusive promotional rights for two years or four fights, and neither of those milestones has been reached to date," said Golden Boy Spokesman Stefan Friedman in a statement. "Furthermore, the motive behind the defendants adamant and longtime refusal to match Gonzalez with Gary Russell, Jr., is now plain for the world to see. We will vigorously fight to ensure our contract is enforced."

Golden Boy is seeking damages of no less than $1 million, and also is demanding that the court enforce the company's existing contract with Gonzalez.

The company is not attempting to enjoin the fight.

The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, and according to the complaint, alleges the following:

"In December 2013, Golden Boy entered into a written agreement with Gonzalez and DPP wherein Golden Boy obtained the exclusive right to promote Gonzalez's professional boxing matches throughout the world for a period of two years beginning on the first bout conducted pursuant to the agreement, or four fights, whichever comes first (the "Agreement"). The Agreement further provides that Gonzalez will not take part in any professional boxing match prior to the first bout conducted pursuant to the Agreement.

In August, 2014, Golden Boy proposed that Gonzalez fight Gary Russell, Jr., a promising featherweight boxer in either November or December of that year. DPP initially ignored this proposal and then rejected it, preferring to have Gonzalez fight a lesser opponent, Jose Arce, in Mexico in October.

Thereafter, Golden Boy continued to try and find appropriate fights for Gonzalez. However, DPP consistently refused the fights proposed by Golden Boy for Gonzalez.

In February, 2015, it became clear why DPP was refusing all of the fights proposed by Golden Boy for Gonzalez. DPP was conspiring with Russell's manager/promoter, Al Haymon, to put together a fight between Gonzalez and Russell in which Golden Boy would not be involved."

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services