LIFE-ALTERING: Franco’s world has been turned upside down
DANIEL FRANCO, a former USBA featherweight champion forced into retirement following a near-fatal brain injury, is suing Jay-Z, Live Nation and Roc Nation Sports for negligence, seeking unspecified damages. The lawsuit claims that Franco, 27, asked Roc Nation Sports, his promoter, to postpone a scheduled fight on March 23, 2017 after he had been sick with the flu for three weeks and unable to adequately train during this period. He was, however, according to the lawsuit, told by Roc Nation Sports representatives he “must go forward with the fight” and warned that he if decided to withdraw from the scheduled fight he would have difficult securing future ones.
Franco’s fight against Jose Haro on June 10, 2017 was his third fight in as many months and ended in an eightround KO loss. Knocked out, with the count waived, Franco suffered a brain haemorrhage, which left him in a coma, had a piece of his skull removed, and is now required to wear a helmet to protect the left side of his head.