Bob Arum wins this round against Al Haymon as judge denies motion to dismiss $100M lawsuit

In an expected lengthy case between Bob Arum and Al Haymon, the former won the early rounds as a judge denied the latter’s motion to dismiss the case filed by Arum in a $100 million (AU $141.87 million) lawsuit.

Dan Rafael, the senior boxing writer at ESPN, reported the dismissal of Haymon's motion on Wednesday and noted that Haymon won the first round last October when Arum’s Top Rank’s case dismissed “one of the core aspects of the suit”, the antitrust claims.

In July 2015, Top Rank Promotions filed the $100M suit in a Los Angeles court levied against Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) series, which is being alleged to being “monopolistic”, which violates the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform act.

Also popularly known as the “Ali Act,” it is a federal law that was enacted since 2000 with aims to protect the rights and welfare of boxers and increase sportsmanship and integrity within the boxing industry.

Haymon is being accused by Arum that he has violated the “Ali Act” for allegedly serving both as a manager and promoter for a stable of 200 fighters under the PBC series.

"I'm delighted with the ruling, but I don't want to discuss it any further," Arum said in the same ESPN update on the case against Haymon.

Golden Boy Promotions, which is headed by former pro boxer and current promoter Oscar De La Hoya, has filed a similar lawsuit and is seeking $300 million (AU $425 million) in damages against Haymon.

"Haymon is not only pushing out other legitimate promoters in favor of ineffective puppets that he controls, but locking out top fighters who dare not to join his stable of fighters,” a press release from Golden Boy Promotions stated back in May 2015.

In a strongly worded introduction in the official case file, Top Rank described Haymon as the “fight game’s biggest mystery," who is “operating in the shadows”.

“Using one’s power to box out competitors is a classic monopolistic tactic. Haymon’s actions also violate the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act’s proscriptions against managers acting as promoters (a criminal violation). In fact, the Association of Boxing Commissions recently sent a letter to United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch urging an investigation into Haymon’s practices,” the case file stated.