A boxer is suing Banner Promotions LLC, alleging its CEO and two other men lured him into signing a five-year deal with extensions while representing the agreement was for only one fight.
Brandon Quincy Adams’ Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit allegations against Banner Promotions Inc. include breach of contract, intentional and negligent interference with prospective economic advantage and intentional and negligent misrepresenation. Adams, born in Lynwood and now a resident of Norwalk, seeks at least $595,000 in damages and a declaration that his contract with Banner is unenforceable. A Banner representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit filed Wednesday.
“Our present situation is clearly a manipulative attempt by a promoter to coercively lock in a promising fighter to an invalid agreement, even years after such agreement should have ended,” the suit states. “This type of unconscionable, lop-sided agreement at present is a disgrace to the institution of boxing and must be addressed,” the lawsuit states.
Adams, who is 32 years old, weighs 160 pounds and stands five feet, nine inches tall, was already a licensed professional fighter when he was approached by two men, co-defendants James McGary and Bobby DePhilippis, who obtained the plaintiff’s trust and were able to become his manager and promoter, respectively, the suit states.
The pair later introduced Adams to another co-defendant, Arthur Pelullo, Banner’s CEO, according to the suit. Adams was invited to participate in the Boxcino tournament taking place on ESPN and fight Daniel Edourd on a nationally televised card in February 2014 on condition he sign an agreement with Banner, the suit states.
Adams had not seen the contract, was inexperienced with promotional fight agreements and thought it was a one-fight deal, but in reality it was five-year agreement with “restraint against gainful employment worked into the agreement,” the suit states. Adams was not given the chance to obtain a lawyer to examine the contract, the suit alleges.
“Defendants explicitly told (Adams) that his own counsel would not be necessary and that due to a strict deadline … (he) needed to sign immediately…,” the suit states. “The terms of the agreement itself were clearly unconscionable and dangerously one-sided in favor of Banner.”
Two years into the agreement, Adams had years of debt and bills to pay as was caring for two young children, and Banner threatened to sue Adams if he attempted to leave, the suit states. Adams had to form a GoFundMe page and had work as a boxing trainer at a gym to support his family, the suit states.
