Attorneys for plaintiffs Eddie Hearn and Matchroom and defendant Jake Paul have jointly filed a status report in United States federal court summarizing the defamation case against Paul, who made the unverified claim that Matchroom paid off judge Glenn Feldman to influence the outcome of two separate bouts. Here is the report, lightly edited only to remove legal terms:
Eddie Hearn and Matchroom's statement of the case: On or about September 20, 2022, Paul made defamatory statements regarding Matchroom and Hearn, stating that Matchroom and Hearn bribed longtime boxing judge Glenn Feldman to score two boxing matches in favor of fighters whom Matchroom promotes. The fights subject to the defamatory remarks were (1) Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano, which occurred at Madison Square Garden in April of 2022, and (2) Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua, which occurred in Saudi Arabia on August 20, 2022. Importantly, Matchroom and Hearn were the promoters for Taylor, who came out victorious, as well as for Joshua, who suffered defeat. Feldman was one of three judges for each of those boxing matches.
Paul, on the other hand, and his boxing promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, LLC (“MVP”), promote Serrano and, along with Matchroom, were the co-promoters of, an earned a
profit-share from, Taylor-Serrano, pursuant to a co-promotion agreement between Matchroom’s New York-based subsidiary, Matchroom Boxing USA, LLC, on one hand, and MVP on the other.
Paul’s statements, which were highly-publicized due, in large part, to his notoriety and vast social media following, were first published online by iFL.tv, and then subsequently re-published and
replayed by several news outlets throughout the world, as well as being shared and republished on countless social media pages. Specifically, Paul stated, in pertinent part, as follows:
I still think Amanda Serrano won the fight … And then you see this judge Glenn Feldman, who had the biggest gap between Serrano and Taylor. Pretty much every one though it was a draw… or Amanda won … But there’s this judge Glenn Feldman who scored it such a big gap for Taylor, gave rounds that Amanda clearly won, to Taylor. Then this judge, Glenn Feldman, shows up in Saudi and scores Anthony Joshua to win the fight when everyone watched the fight … it’s not a split decision. Usyk had a runaway victory, clearly won the fight and this judge Glenn Feldman gives it to Anthony Joshua. It’s like a repeated crime here … I’m going to call it out in boxing because it’s bullshit.
Clearly, this guy is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing. [And that’s] a bold statement and accusation that I don’t take lightly but it’s just blatantly obvious and they’re not even trying to hide it. You would think they’d get a different judge … to try and hide the corruption that they’re bringing to this sport but it’s just so blatantly obvious.
Indeed, because Paul’s defamatory statements have caused, and continue to cause, significant financial and reputational harm to the Plaintiffs, and because the false statements were made with malicious intent, including the intent of harming Matchroom––a direct competitor of Paul and MVP– –Plaintiffs are entitled to damages in connection therewith.
Jake Paul’s statement of the case: Without performing a choice of law analysis, and regardless of which state/territory law applies, plaintiff Hearn does not allege that the purportedly defamatory comments referred to him or that he was damaged. Instead, his Complaint repeatedly alleges that only his co-plaintiff Matchroom was the subject of the “accusations” and is entitled to damages. Hence, Hearn fails to state a claim for defamation.
Moreover, Matchroom and Feldman [who is seeking to join the case as a co-plaintiff] acknowledge that they are limited-purpose public figures. Thus, they must plausibly allege that Paul acted with actual malice, [whether this case is decided] under New York law or Puerto Rico common law. However, the Complaints’ nonconclusory allegations do not raise a plausible inference of actual malice. In all events, Paul’s statements are expressions of opinion or hyperbole, and thus cannot give rise to a defamation claim. Accordingly, both Complaints fail to state a claim.
Status: Currently, Feldman has filed a motion to intervene, which Paul does not oppose. In addition to Feldman’s pending motion to intervene, Paul has requested a pre-motion conference to file a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction and improper venue. The parties also anticipate filing summary judgment motions at the close of discovery. While both parties are ultimately open to discussing a potential settlement in this case, they have yet to engage in settlement discussions.
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PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
​OCT. 27, 2022: Boxing judge Glenn Feldman said in a court filing thay he has not been offered a single opportunity to work a fight since Jake Paul said Feldman was bribed to favor two Matchroom-promoted boxers in big fights. Those two boxers were Katie Taylor in her win over Amanda Serrano and Anthony Joshua in his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk. Earlier this week, Feldman asked a federal court in New York for permission to intervene in the defemation suit that Matchroom and its principal Eddie Hearn filed against Paul. Feldman's request, a prelude to asserting claims against Paul, was filed by attorney Frank Salzano of Salzano, Lampert & Wilson LLP, who already represents Matchroom and Hearn in the lawsuit.
Here is the text of Feldman's court filing:
For ten years longer than [Jake Paul] has been alive, Glenn Feldman has been building a career, and establishing a reputation, as one of the premier judges in professional boxing, having been selected by boxing commissions across the globe1 to score some of the biggest bouts the sport has had to offer. For example, Feldman judged the welterweight title fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio in Las Vegas in 2015; the second middleweight title fight between Canelo Álvarez and Gennady Golovkin in Las Vegas in 2018; the second heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. in Riyad, Saudi Arabia in 2019; and the second heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas in 2020.
Feldman has also been a guest presenter at boxing judge seminars held by the Nevada and New York Athletic Commissions, and the World Boxing Organization, World Boxing Association, and the International Boxing Federation–– three of the four major sanctioning bodies in professional boxing. Like [the plaintiffs in this lawsuit] boxing promoters Matchroom Boxing Limited and Eddie Hearn, Feldman is widely-recognized and respected in the boxing industry for his unyielding integrity.
Paul on the other hand, who just recently entered the sport of professional boxing as both a fighter and promoter, gained fame and notoriety through social media, taking advantage of the ability to speak his mind unfiltered to his millions of followers across the various social media networks; openly trash talking his competitors and opponents; and seemingly enjoying playing the role of “villain” in the eyes of the public. And while Paul’s playful banter is typically disregarded and/or laughed off as just that, his baseless accusations of corruption by Feldman and Matchroom, as outlined herein, rise far above playful banter; have caused and will continue to cause significant damage to the reputations that Feldman and Matchroom have spent years building in the boxing industry, and thus, constitute defamation. Simply put, Paul must be held accountable for his malicious conduct.
Considering Feldman’s unequivocal interest in the outcome of this case due to the similar facts, evidence, and legal arguments relevant to both Feldman and Matchroom’s claims against Paul, and the undeniable possibility that Feldman’s legal rights may be impaired or impeded by decisions made in, as well as the ultimate resolution of, this case, Feldman respectfully requests that this Court permit him to intervene into this lawsuit against Paul, which was originally commenced by Matchroom on September 23rd.
Factual Background: Between 1992 and present day, Feldman, a resident of the state of Connecticut, who was inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011, has scored over 1200 bouts around the world. Two of the most recent bouts Feldman has scored were the August 2022 bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia, and the April 2022 bout between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden in New York. Notably, Matchroom promotes Joshua, and was the sole promoter of the Usyk-Joshua bout, which Usyk won by split decision; and Matchroom and Paul’s boxing promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, co-promoted the Taylor-Serrano bout, with Matchroom promoting Taylor, and Paul and his company promoting Serrano. Feldman scored the Usyk-Joshua bout 115-113 in favor of Joshua, and scored the Taylor-Serrano bout 97-93 in favor of Taylor.
Despite being dubbed by many as “the fight of the year,” Serrano ultimately lost the bout to Taylor by split decision. Not long after the Usyk-Joshua bout, Paul appeared in an interview, which was published by iFL TV, in which he stated––definitively––that “clearly this guy,” i.e., Feldman, “is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing … it’s just blatantly obvious and they’re not even trying to hide it.” Importantly, there was nothing implicit whatsoever about Paul’s statement, with Paul himself describing it as a “bold statement an accusation that I don’t take lightly.” Within hours of Paul’s false statements being published, the media and social media frenzy had already begun, with media outlets referring to Paul’s statements as “extremely strong,” as well as “stark and targeted” at Feldman and Matchroom.
Upon being notified of Paul’s false statements being published, representatives for Matchroom contacted Paul’s agent in a good faith attempt to amicably resolve the situation, and asked simply that Paul retract, and admit the untruthfulness, of his statements. Instead, Paul doubled-down on his outrageous statements by refusing to do so. To protect their good name, and ensure Paul was held accountable for his malicious actions, Matchroom was left with no choice but to commence litigation against Paul, which they did by filing a complaint for defamation on September 23rd. Aside from the filing of Matchroom’s complaint and requisite initiating documents, and a stipulation regarding Paul accepting service and having until November 29th to answer or otherwise respond to Matchroom’s complaint nothing else has occurred in the case thus far.
Feldman, like Matchroom, has a substantial interest in protecting his reputation from false and malicious statements such as the statements made by Paul. The interest Feldman has in
this case is neither remote nor speculative, but is directly tied to the subject of this case, i.e., Paul’s defamatory statements, which call into question Feldman’s integrity and objectivity– both essential qualitiesfor boxing judgesto possess––and therefore are likely to have a significant impact on Feldman’s livelihood moving forward, in addition to the impact already felt by Feldman to date. For example, from the date of Paul’s defamatory statements up to the filing of this motion, Feldman has not received one request to serve as a boxing judge. Accordingly, Feldman’s
interest in this case is, indisputably, direct, significant, and legally protectible.
SEPT. 26, 2022: Late last week, Matchroom Boxing and its principal Eddie Hearn sued Jake Paul for defamation after Paul posted a social media video accusing Hearn of bribing a boxing judge in two major fights this year, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano and Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua II. Here is the text of the lawsuit, filed in United States federal court in Manahattan (known as the Southern District of New York):
Plaintiffs, Matchroom Boxing Limited (“Matchroom Boxing”) and Edward (Eddie) John Hearn (together, “Matchroom” or “Plaintiffs”), by their attorneys Salzano, Lampert & Wilson LLP, allege as follows:
1. It is axiomatic that a reputation is earned slowly and lost quickly.
2. For over three decades Matchroom has worked tirelessly to build its reputation as the preeminent boxing promoter in the world. Matchroom unequivocally respects the rules and guidelines of the boxing profession, acts with integrity and transparency, and treats boxers and others involved in the boxing profession fairly and with dignity.
3. Defendant Jake Paul (“Paul” or “Defendant”) has earned tens of millions of dollars as a social media influencer, boxer, and boxing promoter. He is frequently interviewed by the media and is well-known in the boxing profession and mainstream media. Paul also maintains a substantial following on social media, with approximately 20.7 million followers on Instagram, 20.4 million subscribers on YouTube, 16.6 million followers on TikTok, 5.7 million followers on Facebook, and 4.4 million followers on Twitter.
4. In light of his substantial following, when Paul speaks, boxing fans, media, and the boxing profession listen. The spoken and written words of the Paul are inevitably spread globally with the potential to harm the reputation of any individual or entity.
5. Although playful banter and even smack talk criticizing rivals is common in the boxing profession, Paul’s recent, outlandishly false and baseless accusations against Matchroom, which are detailed below, crossed far past the line of banter, and clearly constitute defamation.
6. On or around September 20, 2022, Paul made outrageously false and baseless accusations against Matchroom in a video that was posted online and made available free of charge to anyone across the world. Paul claimed without a shred of evidence to substantiate such claims that Matchroom paid off boxing judge Glenn Feldman (“Feldman”) to score the recent bout between Oleksandr Usyk (“Usyk”) and Anthony Joshua (“Joshua”) in Saudi Arabia, and that Matchroom also paid off Feldman to score a separate bout between Katie Taylor (“Taylor”) and Amanda Serrano (“Serrano”) in April 2022 that was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Paul further stated that, because of Matchroom’s bribes, Feldman scored in favor of Joshua and Taylor (the “Fighters”) respectively. Matchroom was the promoter for both Fighters, with Taylor securing a split decision victory over Serrano and Joshua losing by split decision to Usyk. Paul was and remains the promoter of Serrano.
7. Specifically, on or around September 20, 2022, Paul stated: “clearly this guy is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing.” At the time he made the statement, Paul recognized the enormity of his proclamation against Matchroom: “that’s a bold statement and an accusation that I don’t take lightly, but it’s just so blatantly obvious and they’re not even trying to hide it.” Paul went even further in his false and baseless claims against Matchroom, stating: “you’d think they would try to get a different judge to try and hide the
corruption they are bringing to this sport but it’s just so blatantly obvious.” Paul likewise stated that Matchroom has engaged in “a repeated crime.”
8. Thus, not only did Plaintiffs recognize that Paul’s statements crossed the line from banter and clearly amount to defamation, Paul himself, at the time he made the false and baseless statements, explicitly acknowledged that his accusations were “bold.”
9. Such accusations are obviously deeply offensive as well as damaging to Plaintiffs. They are also patently false. As Paul should be aware (given his own activities as a boxing promoter), the applicable boxing commission, i.e., the Middle Eastern Professional Boxing Commission for the bout between Usyk and Joshua, and the New York State Athletic Commission for the bout between Taylor and Serrano – not the promoter of the bouts – is responsible for choosing the judges. Therefore, by definition, the Plaintiffs could not have appointed Feldman as Paul insinuated. Furthermore, it is worth noting that: (i) the majority of media concurred with Feldman’s scorecard in respect of the Taylor bout and many remarked on the remarkable achievement of both fighters in what was deemed a closely contested ‘fight of the year’ candidate and (ii) Mr. Hearn himself publicly disagreed with Feldman’s scorecard in respect of the Usyk-Joshua bout, stating that he believed Usyk won the fight.
10. Paul’s wild accusations against Matchroom caused a media and social media frenzy undoubtedly exacerbated by Paul’s enormous social media following.
11. Within 24 hours of Paul’s false statements, several news and social media sites replayed Paul’s false and accusatory statements, while others wrote about Paul’s claims regarding Matchroom.
12. Media characterized Paul’s statements as “damning accusations” against Matchroom and “EXTREMELY STRONG ACCUSATIONS” against Matchroom.
13. The media blitz has continued up to the filing of this complaint, and is likely to continue into the foreseeable future. Given Paul’s far-reaching social media presence, his statements have reached tens of millions of individuals across the globe.
14. Paul’s defamatory statements were made with malicious intent and have caused financial and reputational harm to Plaintiffs, which is precisely what Paul intended when he made the outlandish accusations.
15. Following Paul’s explosive and unfounded statements, Matchroom representatives contacted Paul through his agent, and urged Paul to retract the false accusations. Paul refused to comply with Matchroom’s request, thus doubling-down on his malicious and defamatory statements against Matchroom.
16. Matchroom brings this complaint against Paul for defamation.
[...]
21. Matchroom Boxing is a private limited company organized and existing under the laws of the United Kingdom, with its principal place of business in the United Kingdom.
22. Eddie Hearn is an individual, who resides in Essex, England, and is the chairman of the Matchroom group of companies, a boxing promoter, sports executive, media personality,
and award-winning author.
23. Paul is an individual, and upon information and belief, resides in Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico.
24. Paul is a social media influencer, boxer, and boxing promoter, and recently launched a sports-betting company called Betr.
25. Paul also co-founded the boxing promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions.
26. According to a news report, Paul maintains over 70 million followers on social media and is one of the most searched public figures on Google.
A. Matchroom’s Excellent Reputation in the Boxing Profession
27. Matchroom is firmly established as the foremost fight promoter in the world.
28. With over three decades of vast experience in the boxing industry, the company hastaken boxing onto another level with a series of ground-breaking promotions that have broken all records for ticket sales and viewership Matchroom’s current stable of fighters includes well-known athletes such as Joshua, Taylor, Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez, Julio Cesar Martinez, Jesse Rodriguez, Jessica McCaskill, and many more.
30. To earn and maintain its fantastic reputation, Matchroom unequivocally respects the rules and guidelines of the boxing profession, acts with transparency and integrity, maintains robust and unwavering anti-bribery and corruption policies, and has long treated boxers fairly and with dignity.
B. Paul’s Defamatory Statements Against Matchroom
31. On or about September 20, 2022, Paul made outrageously false and baseless accusations against Matchroom.
32. Paul claimed that Matchroom paid off scoring judge Feldman to score the bout between Usyk and Joshua (which was held in Saudi Arabia), as well as an earlier bout between Taylor and Serrano (which was held in Madison Square Garden in Manhattan), in favor of Joshua and Taylor respectively, due to those fighters’ professional connections to Matchroom.
33. Referring to Feldman, Paul stated: “clearly this guy is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing.”
34. At the time he made the statement, Paul recognized the enormity of his proclamation against Matchroom: “that’s a bold statement and an accusation that I don’t take lightly, but it’s just so blatantly obvious and they’re not even trying to hide it.”
35. Paul went even further in his false claims against Matchroom, stating: “you’d think they would try to get a different judge to try and hide the corruption they are bringing to this sport but it’s just so blatantly obvious.”
36. Paul likewise stated that Matchroom has engaged in “a repeated crime.”
37. All of Paul’s foregoing statements regarding Matchroom are false.
38. Matchroom did not provide authorization to Paul to make any of the aforementioned statements.
39. On information and belief, the foregoing statements of Paul were made and published (i) with actual malice and knowledge of their falsity, and (ii) with the design and intent
to harm Matchroom in its profession.
C. Paul’s Defamatory Statements Reached a Broad Audience
40. In less than twenty-four hours, Paul’s defamatory statements reached a very broad audience. In large part this is due to the fact that Paul enjoys a substantial social media following—with over 70 million followers—and due to the fact that Paul is one of the most searched public figures on Google.
41. For example, iFL TV, a well-known boxing media site, when publishing the interview, referred to Paul’s statements in a Twitter post as “EXTREMELY STRONG ACCUSATIONS” against Matchroom.
42. An article on Boxing Social, another well-known boxing media site, boasted in a headline that “Jake Paul Makes Extremely Serious ‘Corruption’ Allegation Against Matchroom.”
43. The Boxing Social article noted that Paul, as a promoter, was on the losing end of the Taylor-Serrano fight. The article further explained that although scoring disagreements are common in boxing, “rarely do they result in such a stark and targeted accusation.” A separate article, published on the respected website, Boxing Scene, was titled “Jake Paul Alleges Judge Glenn Feldman ‘Clearly . . . Getting Paid Money by Matchroom Boxing.’”
45. The Boxing Scene article referred to Paul’s statements as “damning allegations.” The article further pondered why Paul, rather than note his disagreement with the scoring, claimed “corruption between Feldman and Matchroom.”
46. The aforementioned articles represent just a small subset of publications that highlighted Paul’s outlandishly false and defamatory statements regarding Matchroom.
D. Paul Knew, or Should Have Known, That His Statements Were False
47. Paul knew, or should have known, that his accusations were false at the time that he made them.
48. Not only is Paul a boxer, he is also a boxing promoter and a co-founder of a boxing promotional company. As such, Paul is—or at the very least should be—intimately
familiar with how judges are selected for fights.
49. As Paul should be aware—the applicable boxing commission, i.e., the Middle Eastern Professional Boxing Commission for the bout between Usyk and Joshua, and the New York State Athletic Commission for the bout between Taylor and Serrano—not the promoter of the bouts—is responsible for choosing the judges.
50. Thus, it is factually impossible for Matchroom to have engaged in what Paul called “corruption” by bringing Feldman in as a judge. It simply was not Matchroom’s decision to do so, and Paul knew, or should have known, that.
51. Furthermore, there is absolutely no evidence that Matchroom has engaged in any wrongful conduct, let alone bribing a judge in both of the aforementioned bouts.
52. Paul’s motivations for his false, baseless, and accusatory statements are not difficult to discern. Paul was the promoter for Serrano in the Taylor-Serrano fight, and Matchroom was the promoter for Taylor. Taylor won the fight in what Sports Illustrated later called “the fight of the year—full stop.” Sports Illustrated, a preeminent sports media publication, detailed how the fight between the women was “a classic,” and further wrote that Taylor’s win “cemented her place” as one of the most accomplished fighters in women’s boxing,
and arguably “enhanced her case to be called the greatest women’s boxer of all time.”
53. Nothing in the article even remotely called into question the scoring of the fight, let alone mentioned any potential wrongful conduct on the part of Matchroom.
E. Matchroom Has Suffered Damages Due to Paul’s Defamatory Statements
53. Matchroom has suffered, and will continue to suffer, significant financial and reputational damages due to Paul’s defamatory statements.
54. The world of professional boxing is closely knit, with only a handful of individuals and companies vying for the right to work with premier boxers. Matchroom’s strengths as trusted advisor, promoter, matchmaker, and ultimately presenter of fair, compelling and competitive televised contests have been core components of the company’s undisputed integrity in the business. Paul’s defamatory statements are therefore particularly damaging to Matchroom and go to the very core of its business.
55. The negative impact of Paul’s defamatory statements about Matchroom have been magnified because once Paul initiated his false and scandalous allegations, they have been repeated and paraphrased by reporters throughout the United States and internationally.
56. These additional publications and paraphrasing of Paul’s defamatory and libelous statements were foreseeable, and, on information and belief, Paul anticipated and desired such additional publications in order to cause even more injury to Matchroom’s business and reputation.
DEFAMATION
[...]
58.Paul made his false and defamatory statements deliberately and maliciously with the intent to intimidate, discredit, and defame Matchroom.
59. Paul has made statements of fact against Matchroom that are false.
60. At the time Paul made his statements, Paul knew, or should have known, that the statements were false.
61. Paul’s statements were made to reporters, newspapers, and other public outlets, among other places and persons. The statements were not privileged.
62. Paul’s statements were published to a broad audience.
63. Paul deliberately made the statements knowing they would be disseminated to a broad audience and would harm Matchroom’s reputation and good standing. Paul acted with spite and malice when making the defamatory statements. As intended by Paul, Paul’s defamatory statements were, in fact, widely published and disseminated around the world, including in the Southern District of New York.
64. Given the absence of any evidence to substantiate Paul’s statements, Paul issued his statements with actual knowledge that such statements were false and in
reckless disregard for their falsity. In either case, Paul issued these statements intending to harm Plaintiffs.
65. Paul’s statements harm Plaintiffs’ reputation in the public, impute the commission of a crime, and/or call into question Plaintiffs’ fitness to perform its work in its trade and profession.
66. Paul’s false statements constitute slander, as he spoke false statements about Plaintiffs in a video that was, upon information and belief, recorded by a third party, and knew that the statements were going to be transmitted in writing, and widely disseminated on the Internet in video and/or in print. Paul intended his false statements to be published by newspaper and
other media outlets internationally, and they were, in fact, published globally, including within the Southern District of New York.
67. Paul’s false statements constitute slander per se, including that they accused Matchroom of a crime of significant proportion in the sport of professional boxing, and including that they exposed Matchroom to public contempt, ridicule, aversion, and disgrace, and induced an evil opinion of Matchroom in the minds of right-thinking persons
68. Paul’s false statements constitute libel, as he knew that they were going to be transmitted in writing, and widely disseminated on the Internet and in print. Paul intended his false statements to be published by newspaper and other media outlets internationally, and they were, in fact, published globally, including within the Southern District of New York.
69. Paul’s false statements constitute libel per se, including that they accused Matchroom of a crime of significant proportion in the sport of professional boxing, and have thus, exposed Matchroom to public contempt, ridicule, aversion, and disgrace, and induced an evil opinion of Matchroom in the minds of right-thinking persons.
70. Paul’s false statements also constitute libel per se, inasmuch, among other reasons, as they tended to injure Matchroom in its professional capacity as a premier promoter of boxing events, and inasmuch as they intended to destroy Matchroom’s credibility and reputation among members of the boxing community and profession.
71. Because Paul’s conduct was undertaken in bad faith and with fraud, malice, and oppression, Matchroom is entitled to punitive damages.
72. Paul knowingly made false statements to third parties with actual malice and knowledge of their falsity, and which tended to injure Matchroom in its profession constituting
defamation per se.
73. As a consequence of Paul’s defamatory statements, Matchroom is entitled to substantial and significant damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
74. Paul’s false statements have caused, and continue to cause, Matchroom economic damage and reputational harm, and other direct and consequential damages and losses.
75. Matchroom is also entitled to recover punitive damages from Paul in that Paul made his defamatory statements: (i) with knowledge of its falsity and/or with wanton and reckless disregard for its truth; and (ii) Paul’s decision to defame was motivated by hatred, ill will, spite, and/or a criminal mental state as directed at Plaintiffs.
76. Punitive and exemplary damages are necessary in this case to deter Paul and others from wantonly and maliciously using a campaign of lies to discredit Matchroom and other boxing promoters.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF: Plaintiffs respectfully request judgment against Paul awarding compensatory, consequential, special, exemplary, and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial, but in excess of the $75,000 jurisdictional requirement; costs of suit; attorneys’ fees; and such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.
JURY DEMAND: Plaintiffs hereby demand a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted within this pleading.
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PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
​OCT. 27, 2022: Boxing judge Glenn Feldman said in a court filing thay he has not been offered a single opportunity to work a fight since Jake Paul said Feldman was bribed to favor two Matchroom-promoted boxers in big fights. Those two boxers were Katie Taylor in her win over Amanda Serrano and Anthony Joshua in his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk. Earlier this week, Feldman asked a federal court in New York for permission to intervene in the defemation suit that Matchroom and its principal Eddie Hearn filed against Paul. Feldman's request, a prelude to asserting claims against Paul, was filed by attorney Frank Salzano of Salzano, Lampert & Wilson LLP, who already represents Matchroom and Hearn in the lawsuit.
Here is the text of Feldman's court filing:
For ten years longer than [Jake Paul] has been alive, Glenn Feldman has been building a career, and establishing a reputation, as one of the premier judges in professional boxing, having been selected by boxing commissions across the globe1 to score some of the biggest bouts the sport has had to offer. For example, Feldman judged the welterweight title fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio in Las Vegas in 2015; the second middleweight title fight between Canelo Álvarez and Gennady Golovkin in Las Vegas in 2018; the second heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. in Riyad, Saudi Arabia in 2019; and the second heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas in 2020.
Feldman has also been a guest presenter at boxing judge seminars held by the Nevada and New York Athletic Commissions, and the World Boxing Organization, World Boxing Association, and the International Boxing Federation–– three of the four major sanctioning bodies in professional boxing. Like [the plaintiffs in this lawsuit] boxing promoters Matchroom Boxing Limited and Eddie Hearn, Feldman is widely-recognized and respected in the boxing industry for his unyielding integrity.
Paul on the other hand, who just recently entered the sport of professional boxing as both a fighter and promoter, gained fame and notoriety through social media, taking advantage of the ability to speak his mind unfiltered to his millions of followers across the various social media networks; openly trash talking his competitors and opponents; and seemingly enjoying playing the role of “villain” in the eyes of the public. And while Paul’s playful banter is typically disregarded and/or laughed off as just that, his baseless accusations of corruption by Feldman and Matchroom, as outlined herein, rise far above playful banter; have caused and will continue to cause significant damage to the reputations that Feldman and Matchroom have spent years building in the boxing industry, and thus, constitute defamation. Simply put, Paul must be held accountable for his malicious conduct.
Considering Feldman’s unequivocal interest in the outcome of this case due to the similar facts, evidence, and legal arguments relevant to both Feldman and Matchroom’s claims against Paul, and the undeniable possibility that Feldman’s legal rights may be impaired or impeded by decisions made in, as well as the ultimate resolution of, this case, Feldman respectfully requests that this Court permit him to intervene into this lawsuit against Paul, which was originally commenced by Matchroom on September 23rd.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND:
Between 1992 and present day, Feldman, a resident of the state of Connecticut, who was inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011, has scored over 1200 bouts around
the world. Two of the most recent bouts Feldman has scored were the August 2022 bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia, and the April 2022 bout between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden in New York. Notably, Matchroom promotes Joshua, and was the sole promoter of the Usyk-Joshua bout, which Usyk won by split decision; and Matchroom and Paul’s boxing promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, co-promoted the Taylor-Serrano bout, with Matchroom promoting Taylor, and Paul and his company promoting Serrano. Feldman scored the Usyk-Joshua bout 115-113 in favor of Joshua, and scored the Taylor-Serrano bout 97-93 in favor of Taylor.
Despite being dubbed by many as “the fight of the year,” Serrano ultimately lost the bout to Taylor by split decision. Not long after the Usyk-Joshua bout, Paul appeared in an interview, which was published by iFL TV, in which he stated––definitively––that “clearly this guy,” i.e., Feldman, “is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing … it’s just blatantly obvious and they’re not even trying to hide it.” Importantly, there was nothing implicit whatsoever about Paul’s statement, with Paul himself describing it as a “bold statement an accusation that I don’t take lightly.” Within hours of Paul’s false statements being published, the media and social media frenzy had already begun, with media outlets referring to Paul’s statements as “extremely strong,” as well as “stark and targeted” at Feldman and Matchroom.
Upon being notified of Paul’s false statements being published, representatives for Matchroom contacted Paul’s agent in a good faith attempt to amicably resolve the situation, and asked simply that Paul retract, and admit the untruthfulness, of his statements. Instead, Paul doubled-down on his outrageous statements by refusing to do so. To protect their good name, and ensure Paul was held accountable for his malicious actions, Matchroom was left with no choice but to commence litigation against Paul, which they did by filing a complaint for defamation on September 23rd. Aside from the filing of Matchroom’s complaint and requisite initiating documents, and a stipulation regarding Paul accepting service and having until November 29th to answer or otherwise respond to Matchroom’s complaint nothing else has occurred in the case thus far.
Feldman, like Matchroom, has a substantial interest in protecting his reputation from false and malicious statements such as the statements made by Paul. The interest Feldman has in
this case is neither remote nor speculative, but is directly tied to the subject of this case, i.e., Paul’s defamatory statements, which call into question Feldman’s integrity and objectivity– both essential qualitiesfor boxing judgesto possess––and therefore are likely to have a significant impact on Feldman’s livelihood moving forward, in addition to the impact already felt by Feldman to date. For example, from the date of Paul’s defamatory statements up to the filing of this motion, Feldman has not received one request to serve as a boxing judge. Accordingly, Feldman’s
interest in this case is, indisputably, direct, significant, and legally protectible.
SEPT. 26, 2022: Late last week, Matchroom Boxing and its principal Eddie Hearn sued Jake Paul for defamation after Paul posted a social media video accusing Hearn of bribing a boxing judge in two major fights this year, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano and Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua II. Here is the text of the lawsuit, filed in United States federal court in Manahattan (known as the Southern District of New York):
Plaintiffs, Matchroom Boxing Limited (“Matchroom Boxing”) and Edward (Eddie) John Hearn (together, “Matchroom” or “Plaintiffs”), by their attorneys Salzano, Lampert & Wilson LLP, allege as follows:
1. It is axiomatic that a reputation is earned slowly and lost quickly.
2. For over three decades Matchroom has worked tirelessly to build its reputation as the preeminent boxing promoter in the world. Matchroom unequivocally respects the rules and guidelines of the boxing profession, acts with integrity and transparency, and treats boxers and others involved in the boxing profession fairly and with dignity.
3. Defendant Jake Paul (“Paul” or “Defendant”) has earned tens of millions of dollars as a social media influencer, boxer, and boxing promoter. He is frequently interviewed by the media and is well-known in the boxing profession and mainstream media. Paul also maintains a substantial following on social media, with approximately 20.7 million followers on Instagram, 20.4 million subscribers on YouTube, 16.6 million followers on TikTok, 5.7 million followers on Facebook, and 4.4 million followers on Twitter.
4. In light of his substantial following, when Paul speaks, boxing fans, media, and the boxing profession listen. The spoken and written words of the Paul are inevitably spread globally with the potential to harm the reputation of any individual or entity.
5. Although playful banter and even smack talk criticizing rivals is common in the boxing profession, Paul’s recent, outlandishly false and baseless accusations against Matchroom, which are detailed below, crossed far past the line of banter, and clearly constitute defamation.
6. On or around September 20, 2022, Paul made outrageously false and baseless accusations against Matchroom in a video that was posted online and made available free of charge to anyone across the world. Paul claimed without a shred of evidence to substantiate such claims that Matchroom paid off boxing judge Glenn Feldman (“Feldman”) to score the recent bout between Oleksandr Usyk (“Usyk”) and Anthony Joshua (“Joshua”) in Saudi Arabia, and that Matchroom also paid off Feldman to score a separate bout between Katie Taylor (“Taylor”) and Amanda Serrano (“Serrano”) in April 2022 that was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Paul further stated that, because of Matchroom’s bribes, Feldman scored in favor of Joshua and Taylor (the “Fighters”) respectively. Matchroom was the promoter for both Fighters, with Taylor securing a split decision victory over Serrano and Joshua losing by split decision to Usyk. Paul was and remains the promoter of Serrano.
7. Specifically, on or around September 20, 2022, Paul stated: “clearly this guy is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing.” At the time he made the statement, Paul recognized the enormity of his proclamation against Matchroom: “that’s a bold statement and an accusation that I don’t take lightly, but it’s just so blatantly obvious and they’re not even trying to hide it.” Paul went even further in his false and baseless claims against Matchroom, stating: “you’d think they would try to get a different judge to try and hide the
corruption they are bringing to this sport but it’s just so blatantly obvious.” Paul likewise stated that Matchroom has engaged in “a repeated crime.”
8. Thus, not only did Plaintiffs recognize that Paul’s statements crossed the line from banter and clearly amount to defamation, Paul himself, at the time he made the false and baseless statements, explicitly acknowledged that his accusations were “bold.”
9. Such accusations are obviously deeply offensive as well as damaging to Plaintiffs. They are also patently false. As Paul should be aware (given his own activities as a boxing promoter), the applicable boxing commission, i.e., the Middle Eastern Professional Boxing Commission for the bout between Usyk and Joshua, and the New York State Athletic Commission for the bout between Taylor and Serrano – not the promoter of the bouts – is responsible for choosing the judges. Therefore, by definition, the Plaintiffs could not have appointed Feldman as Paul insinuated. Furthermore, it is worth noting that: (i) the majority of media concurred with Feldman’s scorecard in respect of the Taylor bout and many remarked on the remarkable achievement of both fighters in what was deemed a closely contested ‘fight of the year’ candidate and (ii) Mr. Hearn himself publicly disagreed with Feldman’s scorecard in respect of the Usyk-Joshua bout, stating that he believed Usyk won the fight.
10. Paul’s wild accusations against Matchroom caused a media and social media frenzy undoubtedly exacerbated by Paul’s enormous social media following.
11. Within 24 hours of Paul’s false statements, several news and social media sites replayed Paul’s false and accusatory statements, while others wrote about Paul’s claims regarding Matchroom.
12. Media characterized Paul’s statements as “damning accusations” against Matchroom and “EXTREMELY STRONG ACCUSATIONS” against Matchroom.
13. The media blitz has continued up to the filing of this complaint, and is likely to continue into the foreseeable future. Given Paul’s far-reaching social media presence, his statements have reached tens of millions of individuals across the globe.
14. Paul’s defamatory statements were made with malicious intent and have caused financial and reputational harm to Plaintiffs, which is precisely what Paul intended when he made the outlandish accusations.
15. Following Paul’s explosive and unfounded statements, Matchroom representatives contacted Paul through his agent, and urged Paul to retract the false accusations. Paul refused to comply with Matchroom’s request, thus doubling-down on his malicious and defamatory statements against Matchroom.
16. Matchroom brings this complaint against Paul for defamation.
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21. Matchroom Boxing is a private limited company organized and existing under the laws of the United Kingdom, with its principal place of business in the United Kingdom.
22. Eddie Hearn is an individual, who resides in Essex, England, and is the chairman of the Matchroom group of companies, a boxing promoter, sports executive, media personality,
and award-winning author.
23. Paul is an individual, and upon information and belief, resides in Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico.
24. Paul is a social media influencer, boxer, and boxing promoter, and recently launched a sports-betting company called Betr.
25. Paul also co-founded the boxing promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions.
26. According to a news report, Paul maintains over 70 million followers on social media and is one of the most searched public figures on Google.
A. Matchroom’s Excellent Reputation in the Boxing Profession
27. Matchroom is firmly established as the foremost fight promoter in the world.
28. With over three decades of vast experience in the boxing industry, the company hastaken boxing onto another level with a series of ground-breaking promotions that have broken all records for ticket sales and viewership Matchroom’s current stable of fighters includes well-known athletes such as Joshua, Taylor, Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez, Julio Cesar Martinez, Jesse Rodriguez, Jessica McCaskill, and many more.
30. To earn and maintain its fantastic reputation, Matchroom unequivocally respects the rules and guidelines of the boxing profession, acts with transparency and integrity, maintains robust and unwavering anti-bribery and corruption policies, and has long treated boxers fairly and with dignity.
B. Paul’s Defamatory Statements Against Matchroom
31. On or about September 20, 2022, Paul made outrageously false and baseless accusations against Matchroom.
32. Paul claimed that Matchroom paid off scoring judge Feldman to score the bout between Usyk and Joshua (which was held in Saudi Arabia), as well as an earlier bout between Taylor and Serrano (which was held in Madison Square Garden in Manhattan), in favor of Joshua and Taylor respectively, due to those fighters’ professional connections to Matchroom.
33. Referring to Feldman, Paul stated: “clearly this guy is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing.”
34. At the time he made the statement, Paul recognized the enormity of his proclamation against Matchroom: “that’s a bold statement and an accusation that I don’t take lightly, but it’s just so blatantly obvious and they’re not even trying to hide it.”
35. Paul went even further in his false claims against Matchroom, stating: “you’d think they would try to get a different judge to try and hide the corruption they are bringing to this sport but it’s just so blatantly obvious.”
36. Paul likewise stated that Matchroom has engaged in “a repeated crime.”
37. All of Paul’s foregoing statements regarding Matchroom are false.
38. Matchroom did not provide authorization to Paul to make any of the aforementioned statements.
39. On information and belief, the foregoing statements of Paul were made and published (i) with actual malice and knowledge of their falsity, and (ii) with the design and intent
to harm Matchroom in its profession.
C. Paul’s Defamatory Statements Reached a Broad Audience
40. In less than twenty-four hours, Paul’s defamatory statements reached a very broad audience. In large part this is due to the fact that Paul enjoys a substantial social media following—with over 70 million followers—and due to the fact that Paul is one of the most searched public figures on Google.
41. For example, iFL TV, a well-known boxing media site, when publishing the interview, referred to Paul’s statements in a Twitter post as “EXTREMELY STRONG ACCUSATIONS” against Matchroom.
42. An article on Boxing Social, another well-known boxing media site, boasted in a headline that “Jake Paul Makes Extremely Serious ‘Corruption’ Allegation Against Matchroom.”
43. The Boxing Social article noted that Paul, as a promoter, was on the losing end of the Taylor-Serrano fight. The article further explained that although scoring disagreements are common in boxing, “rarely do they result in such a stark and targeted accusation.” A separate article, published on the respected website, Boxing Scene, was titled “Jake Paul Alleges Judge Glenn Feldman ‘Clearly . . . Getting Paid Money by Matchroom Boxing.’”
45. The Boxing Scene article referred to Paul’s statements as “damning allegations.” The article further pondered why Paul, rather than note his disagreement with the scoring, claimed “corruption between Feldman and Matchroom.”
46. The aforementioned articles represent just a small subset of publications that highlighted Paul’s outlandishly false and defamatory statements regarding Matchroom.
D. Paul Knew, or Should Have Known, That His Statements Were False
47. Paul knew, or should have known, that his accusations were false at the time that he made them.
48. Not only is Paul a boxer, he is also a boxing promoter and a co-founder of a boxing promotional company. As such, Paul is—or at the very least should be—intimately
familiar with how judges are selected for fights.
49. As Paul should be aware—the applicable boxing commission, i.e., the Middle Eastern Professional Boxing Commission for the bout between Usyk and Joshua, and the New York State Athletic Commission for the bout between Taylor and Serrano—not the promoter of the bouts—is responsible for choosing the judges.
50. Thus, it is factually impossible for Matchroom to have engaged in what Paul called “corruption” by bringing Feldman in as a judge. It simply was not Matchroom’s decision to do so, and Paul knew, or should have known, that.
51. Furthermore, there is absolutely no evidence that Matchroom has engaged in any wrongful conduct, let alone bribing a judge in both of the aforementioned bouts.
52. Paul’s motivations for his false, baseless, and accusatory statements are not difficult to discern. Paul was the promoter for Serrano in the Taylor-Serrano fight, and Matchroom was the promoter for Taylor. Taylor won the fight in what Sports Illustrated later called “the fight of the year—full stop.” Sports Illustrated, a preeminent sports media publication, detailed how the fight between the women was “a classic,” and further wrote that Taylor’s win “cemented her place” as one of the most accomplished fighters in women’s boxing,
and arguably “enhanced her case to be called the greatest women’s boxer of all time.”
53. Nothing in the article even remotely called into question the scoring of the fight, let alone mentioned any potential wrongful conduct on the part of Matchroom.
E. Matchroom Has Suffered Damages Due to Paul’s Defamatory Statements
53. Matchroom has suffered, and will continue to suffer, significant financial and reputational damages due to Paul’s defamatory statements.
54. The world of professional boxing is closely knit, with only a handful of individuals and companies vying for the right to work with premier boxers. Matchroom’s strengths as trusted advisor, promoter, matchmaker, and ultimately presenter of fair, compelling and competitive televised contests have been core components of the company’s undisputed integrity in the business. Paul’s defamatory statements are therefore particularly damaging to Matchroom and go to the very core of its business.
55. The negative impact of Paul’s defamatory statements about Matchroom have been magnified because once Paul initiated his false and scandalous allegations, they have been repeated and paraphrased by reporters throughout the United States and internationally.
56. These additional publications and paraphrasing of Paul’s defamatory and libelous statements were foreseeable, and, on information and belief, Paul anticipated and desired such additional publications in order to cause even more injury to Matchroom’s business and reputation.
DEFAMATION
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58.Paul made his false and defamatory statements deliberately and maliciously with the intent to intimidate, discredit, and defame Matchroom.
59. Paul has made statements of fact against Matchroom that are false.
60. At the time Paul made his statements, Paul knew, or should have known, that the statements were false.
61. Paul’s statements were made to reporters, newspapers, and other public outlets, among other places and persons. The statements were not privileged.
62. Paul’s statements were published to a broad audience.
63. Paul deliberately made the statements knowing they would be disseminated to a broad audience and would harm Matchroom’s reputation and good standing. Paul acted with spite and malice when making the defamatory statements. As intended by Paul, Paul’s defamatory statements were, in fact, widely published and disseminated around the world, including in the Southern District of New York.
64. Given the absence of any evidence to substantiate Paul’s statements, Paul issued his statements with actual knowledge that such statements were false and in
reckless disregard for their falsity. In either case, Paul issued these statements intending to harm Plaintiffs.
65. Paul’s statements harm Plaintiffs’ reputation in the public, impute the commission of a crime, and/or call into question Plaintiffs’ fitness to perform its work in its trade and profession.
66. Paul’s false statements constitute slander, as he spoke false statements about Plaintiffs in a video that was, upon information and belief, recorded by a third party, and knew that the statements were going to be transmitted in writing, and widely disseminated on the Internet in video and/or in print. Paul intended his false statements to be published by newspaper and
other media outlets internationally, and they were, in fact, published globally, including within the Southern District of New York.
67. Paul’s false statements constitute slander per se, including that they accused Matchroom of a crime of significant proportion in the sport of professional boxing, and including that they exposed Matchroom to public contempt, ridicule, aversion, and disgrace, and induced an evil opinion of Matchroom in the minds of right-thinking persons
68. Paul’s false statements constitute libel, as he knew that they were going to be transmitted in writing, and widely disseminated on the Internet and in print. Paul intended his false statements to be published by newspaper and other media outlets internationally, and they were, in fact, published globally, including within the Southern District of New York.
69. Paul’s false statements constitute libel per se, including that they accused Matchroom of a crime of significant proportion in the sport of professional boxing, and have thus, exposed Matchroom to public contempt, ridicule, aversion, and disgrace, and induced an evil opinion of Matchroom in the minds of right-thinking persons.
70. Paul’s false statements also constitute libel per se, inasmuch, among other reasons, as they tended to injure Matchroom in its professional capacity as a premier promoter of boxing events, and inasmuch as they intended to destroy Matchroom’s credibility and reputation among members of the boxing community and profession.
71. Because Paul’s conduct was undertaken in bad faith and with fraud, malice, and oppression, Matchroom is entitled to punitive damages.
72. Paul knowingly made false statements to third parties with actual malice and knowledge of their falsity, and which tended to injure Matchroom in its profession constituting
defamation per se.
73. As a consequence of Paul’s defamatory statements, Matchroom is entitled to substantial and significant damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
74. Paul’s false statements have caused, and continue to cause, Matchroom economic damage and reputational harm, and other direct and consequential damages and losses.
75. Matchroom is also entitled to recover punitive damages from Paul in that Paul made his defamatory statements: (i) with knowledge of its falsity and/or with wanton and reckless disregard for its truth; and (ii) Paul’s decision to defame was motivated by hatred, ill will, spite, and/or a criminal mental state as directed at Plaintiffs.
76. Punitive and exemplary damages are necessary in this case to deter Paul and others from wantonly and maliciously using a campaign of lies to discredit Matchroom and other boxing promoters.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs respectfully request judgment against Paul awarding compensatory, consequential, special, exemplary, and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial, but in excess of the $75,000 jurisdictional requirement; costs of suit; attorneys’ fees; and such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.
JURY DEMAND
Plaintiffs hereby demand a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted within this pleading.
