LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A California man who was violently attacked on the Las Vegas Strip by a professional boxer has been awarded $4 million.
A September 2017 video, that's part of the court records, showed World Champion Boxer Adrien Broner pushing victim Carlos Gonzalez, then shoving a woman who tries to intervene, and cold cocks Gonzalez in the face - knocking him unconscious.
Ash Ganier, the victim's lawyer, calls Broner's actions "Egregious and malicious and intentional and reckless." She continues to say "there is absolutely no reason for a professional boxer who has weaponized his body in the way that Mr. Broner has - he himself has been seen in interviews describing his body and his arms as guns and lethal weapons - to use that kind of force on an unsuspecting civilian. There's no reason for it."
A judge agreed, entering a default judgment against Broner after he failed to answer or defend himself in the case.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Broner refused to participate in the litigation and so we attempted to serve him in three different states, multiple times," Ganier said.
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Broner did talk about the incident in a VLAD-TV interview entered into the court record.
"That's when they allegedly said these guys walked up on me and I was by myself with over a million dollars' worth of jewelry on and they were touching me and I got nervous," Broner said. "That's what allegedly happened. And I knocked him out."
The lawsuit says in the aftermath of the unprovoked punch, Gonzalez suffered a concussion, jaw pain, lost consciousness, sustained a chipped tooth and had headache, nausea and dizziness.
He was later diagnosed with a bulging disc in his cervical spine, chronic pain, difficulty chewing and has suffered seizure-like episodes.
As a result, Gonzalez, a single father, lost his driver’s license and has had a hard time working and caring for his young son.
According to the lawsuit, Gonzalez had never met or had any previous dealings with Broner before the boxer's sucker punch left him lying unconscious and bleeding on the sidewalk.
Broner was criminally charged with misdemeanor battery in the case.
The lawsuit calls Broner a "menace to society" with a "long and extensive criminal history" covering more than a decade, including jail time on charges of battery and armed robbery.
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Earlier this year, the lawsuit says Broner was arrested on charges of misdemeanor sexual battery in Atlanta and other cites on battery charges in 2013 and 2016.
In 2017, the lawsuit says Broner was arrested when Kentucky police pulled him over in a rented SUV with eight bullet holes in the side. During the arrest, the lawsuit says Broner was caught on video taunting, cursing and arguing with police. He's quoted as saying, "I'm rich. I don't give a f*** about nothing," and referencing his arms saying, "I've got two guns on me."
The lawsuit claims that instead of being held accountable for his violent behavior, Broner is continually rewarded because of his celebrity status.
"This is someone who uses his celebrity to be above the law," Ganier said, adding that she fears it will be difficult to force Broner to pay the $4 million judgment as he doesn't have a regular income stream.
At the last event Broner attended in Las Vegas, the lawsuit says he earned $2.5 million, plus a percentage of profits, from a fight he lost to Manny Pacquiao.
