Boxing remains one of the most dangerous sports in the world. The damage it can do a person’s body and brain health are matched perhaps only by the perils of professional football. In the summer of 2017, former professional boxer Daniel Franco got to experience firsthand just how scary boxing injuries can be. On June 10 of that year, the then-25-year-old boxer was knocked out in the eighth round of a featherweight bout against Jose Haro. Following the fight, Franco was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to treat a brain hemorrhage. Following the operation, Franco was placed in a medically-induced coma, and while he eventually recovered from the life-threatening injury, he was barred from competing professionally ever again.
Now, according to The Blast, Franco is suing his former fight promoters Roc Nation Sports, the sports management company founded by Jay-Z in 2013. In the suit, Franco claims that he had asked Roc Nation Sports to postpone a fight scheduled for March 23, 2017. Instead, he claims, representatives at the sports management group told Franco that he had to go through with the fight or risk not being able to secure future bouts.
Franco went on to box three fights in 79 days, culminating in his career-ending injury in June. It was later discovered that the fighter had suffered two skull fractures and a separate brain bleed from one of the two other fights. “Had an MRI or other brain imaging been performed, the fractures and hemorrhage would have been discovered prior to the June 10, 2017 fight, necessitating a cancellation,” the lawsuit claims. Franco is seeking unspecified damages.
