Jake Paul faces a legal battle with Matchroom Boxing after a New York judge denied his motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit stemming from Paul’s claims that the promoter bribed a boxing judge, with a pre-trial conference set for October 16.
The stage is set for a legal brawl between Jake Paul and Matchroom Boxing. A judge in New York denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the social influencer turned boxer.
This all started after he allegedly made defamatory statements about the promoter. The comments came following a fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano in 2022.
On Sept. 30, Judge Paul Gardephe from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a ruling. He ruled against Paul’s motion to dismiss the case, first filed over two years ago.
Paul’s motion to dismiss was based on several factors. He argued that New York was an improper venue because he currently resides in Puerto Rico.
He also claimed that Matchroom Boxing was “doing business” in New York without authorization under New York Business Corporation law. Despite these arguments, the judge struck down all of Paul’s claims.
Following that ruling, a pre-trial conference date was set for Oct. 16 as the lawsuit moves forward. Both parties must submit a joint letter with a brief description of the case no later than seven days before the conference.
The attorneys for Matchroom Boxing and Paul are required to attend the conference. However, Matchroom founder Eddie Hearn and Paul himself are not expected to show up at the pre-trial hearing.
The initial lawsuit was filed after Paul allegedly made defamatory statements about Matchroom Boxing. He claimed they “bribed” Glenn Feldman — a boxing judge — “to influence the outcome of two boxing matches that he refereed.”
The boxing matches in question were the Taylor vs. Serrano fight and a matchup between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua. In an interview, Paul stated that “clearly [Glenn Feldman] is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing.”
Paul added that it’s “an accusation that [he doesn’t] take lightly” but noted it’s “just so blatantly obvious.” As a result, Matchroom Boxing filed a defamation lawsuit against Paul.
Feldman actually joined the lawsuit as a co-plaintiff in October 2022. The next hearing is set for Oct. 16 before an actual trial date in the case is determined.