Diego Pacheco v. Split-T Management, LLC
Opinion
Trial Court Opinion
I. BACKGROUND
On June 11, 2021, Defendant Split-T Management, LLC removed this action from Los Angeles County Superior Court, attempting to invoke this Court’s diversity jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332. (See Notice of Removal (“NoR”) ¶ 8 (Docket No. 1)).
Plaintiff is a twenty-year-old boxer and citizen of California. (Complaint ¶ 8 (Docket No. 1-1)). Split-T operates a boxer management business and is a citizen of Delaware and New York. (Id. ¶ 9).
On or about July 17, 2018, Plaintiff and Split-T entered into a “Boxer- Manager Agreement” (the “Agreement”) while Plaintiff was a minor. (Id. ¶¶ 13, 18). Since executing the Agreement, Plaintiff has participated in three boxing events (“bouts”) managed by Split-T in California: one in Inglewood on April 26, 2019, one in Carson on September 14, 2019, and one in Los Angeles on November 9, 2019. (Id. ¶¶ 19, 20). The Complaint alleges that the Agreement is invalid and unenforceable because Split-T failed to (1) obtain the approval of a California court to contract with a minor to render services as a sport participant, (2) register to transact business in California, and (3) obtain a boxer manager’s license. (Id. ¶¶…