MOSCOW, February 3 (RAPSI) - Director of the World of Boxing promotion company Andrei Ryabinsky won $1.6 million from boxing promoter Don King for a canceled fight between Denis Lebedev and Guillermo Jones, Interfax reports on Tuesday quoting the Russian businessman's Twitter.
Ryabinsky filed a lawsuit in May 2014 demanding compensation for a canceled return match for the WBA world champion title in the cruiserweight category between the current titleholder, Lebedev, and ex-champion Jones. The fight was scheduled for April 25, 2014, in Moscow but was canceled several hours before its start due to a positive doping test of the Panamanian fighter.
The organizers returned the money to the audience, and Ryabinsky requested a $2.4 million compensation for the canceled fight. The amount included $1.6 million for arranging the fight, fees, advertising, equipment installation and $800,000 that King was paid to host the fight and as a guarantee of Jones’ participation.
Under the agreement, $250,000 was paid in advance, and King was supposed to receive the remaining $550,000 after the fight. Otherwise, the money would have to be returned to Ryabinsky. However, after the fight was canceled, King still sought the $550,000, insisting that the fight was canceled “for questionable reasons.”
For Jones, this was the second doping test that came back positive. He was first caught using banned substances in 2013, when he defeated Lebedev in the championship. He was stripped of the title due to the doping test results.