Originally posted April 19th, 2011 on the news website OnlineJournal.com.
Jose Canseco is being sued for breach of contract, after the former ballplayer allegedly sent his twin to take his place at a celebrity boxing match.
Canseco was scheduled to fight at the the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida on March 26th, but according to the lawsuit he sent his twin brother Ozzie to take his place.
"We made him a transfer of $5,000 when we agreed on the fight," an unidentified Celebrity Boxing representative told El Nuevo Herald. "Hours before the fight Saturday, we issued a check for the remaining $5,000 in the name of Jose Canseco, and we delivered it to whom we thought was Jose Canseco. He declined it and asked that the check be made out to cash, which we did.
"When we discovered that the person to whom we had given the rest of the money was not José but Ozzie, we asked him to return the check, but he refused to do it. We will go to the bank on Monday and put a stop-payment on it."
The switch was apparently discovered after the boxing match organizers realized that Ozzie Canseco didn't have the tattoos that his famous brother sports on his biceps. A photo of Jose Canseco without his shirt had appeared in advertising for the match.
When they discovered the ruse, representatives of Celebrity Boxing called the police, and Ozzie Canseco left the Passion nightclub escorted by police officers.
On Sunday, Jose Canseco posted messages on Twitter criticizing Damon Feldman, the promoter of the celebrity boxing program.
"Damon Feldman did not comply with his part of the agreement," read one tweet. "Be careful with Damon Feldman, the Celebrity Boxing leader, who will not pay you if you fight for him," read another.
In previous celebrity boxing fights, Canseco drew with former "Patridge Family" star Danny Bonaduce and was knocked out in the first round by ex-Eagles return man Vai Sikahema.
