Daniel Franco, a former featherweight boxer, says Jay Z‘s Roc Nation Sports hasn’t helped him pay over $200,000 in medical bills. He’s needed four brain surgeries and came out of a coma in June.
The 25-year-old Franco was signed to Roc Nation during his career. He told The Blast Saturday that the firm called to notify him that they will not be helping him out financially.
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Back in June, Franco, who had a 16-2-3 record, fought Jose Haro. He was knocked out and suffered a traumatic brain injury. After the fight, he was placed in a medically-induced coma and needed emergency surgery to stop two brain bleeds. Two weeks later, he was weaned from his coma, but has still struggled to recover.
Franco told The Blast this weekend that Roc Nation told his family they would cover his medical bills. His family also launched a GoFundMe page, but Roc Nation told them to take it down because they would help. However, Franco says they haven’t followed through.
Franco still has slurred speech and needs to wear a protective helmet because of the injuries. His family still has an active GoFundMe account, which has raised $60,000 in five months for the former boxer.
Last month, Franco tried to get the attention of the media on Instagram. He posted a photo of himself holding a sign that read, “I fought every time you asked. I never turned down an opponent. I sacrificed my life, my health, my future. I can’t even get a call?” He added “#F***kRocNation.”
Seven days after that post, Franco wrote that he was told to pull that post because Roc Nation would call him. They never did, he claims.
“I really wanted them to call and see what I was going through, and they didn’t,” Franco told ESPN earlier this month. “It really seems that they don’t care about me as a fighter or as a person. I was their fighter. They were part of my team, part of that close-knit family vibe, my trainer, my manager, my promoter. Everyone is supposed to work seamlessly together to get the right fights and get in position to be a world champion, and as soon as the ship sank, they jumped off board. Fighters should know that Roc Nation is not going to be there for you when times get tough.”
Roc Nation hasn’t commented on Franco’s situation.
