N.J.-based promoter Main Events "filed a civil lawsuit on Tuesday against promoter YVON MICHEL, Groupe Yvon Michel Inc., advisor AL HAYMON, Golden Boy Promotions, light heavyweight champion ADONIS STEVENSON and Showtime alleging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, tortious interference and interference with prospective economic advantage," according to documents cited by Chris Mannix of SI.com. Main Events in the complaint "seeks unspecified damages and punitive damages against all parties." Main Events CEO KATHY DUVA said the company was seeking damages "in the millions." Main Events in its filings "accuses Michel of reneging on an agreed upon deal for Stevenson to defend his title against SERGEY KOVALEV, a Main Events promoted fighter." Main Events cites e-mails exchanged between Michel, Duva and HBO Sports Dir of Programming PETER NELSON that "confirm a binding agreement." HBO according to the lawsuit "had agreed to pay" a $2.4M license fee for the fight. Further, Main Events "contends that Haymon, with knowledge of an agreed upon deal between Michel and Main Events, and in an alliance with Golden Boy Promotions CEO RICHARD SCHAEFER, willfully interfered with the agreement in order to negotiate a fall fight between Stevenson and BERNARD HOPKINS on Showtime." Main Events claims that Showtime, specifically Exec VP & GM of Showtime Sports and Event Programming STEPHEN ESPINOZA, "made an offer for Stevenson-Hopkins with 'the clear intent of disrupting a Stevenson-Kovalev bout'" (SI.com, 4/30). Schaefer said that he is "'not worried about' the lawsuit because Golden Boy currently has no deal in place with Stevenson." Schaefer: "That’s no secret that I’m interested in pursuing a Stevenson fight for Bernard, because he wants to unify the titles, but I have nothing to do with Stevenson now" (L.A. TIMES, 5/1).
