On April 7, 2015, the Court had issued a preliminary injunction after a full trial on the merits enjoining Terek Box Event from “promoting or managing Ruslan Chagaev in any bout for the World Boxing Association (“WBA”) World Heavyweight Championship, unless Mr. Chagaev first shall have defended his WBA heavyweight title against Fres Oquendo or vacated the WBA title.”
Subsequently, on April 17, 2015, Timur Dugazaev, the principal of Terek, issued a press release stating “I don’t know how Oquendo can sue me in New York . . . Actually, I sue him in Moscow for returning the purse as stated in the contract.”
In response, Oquendo’s attorneys, Judd Burstein and Peter Schalk, sought an “anti-suit” injunction to stop Terek from trying to circumvent the Court’s preliminary injunction. In issuing this rare type of relief, the Court stated that it failed “to see how the Moscow action could be anything but vexatious. From the beginning of this case, [Terek] has shown a marked disregard for basic rules. * * * A new action in Moscow thus appears to be a transparent attempt to frustrate [Oquendo’s] ability to seek relief to which this Court has already ruled he is likely entitled.” The Court also stated “the Court’s decision on the merits is forthcoming.”
