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EXTRACTS FROM ARTICLES January 18, 2003 - Los Angeles Times Arum Wants Mosley to Sign on Dotted Line Unhappy with the pace of negotiations with Shane Mosley for a rematch with Oscar De La Hoya, promoter Bob Arum has issued a take-it-or-leave ultimatum to Mosley. Arum is threatening to replace him with Fernando Vargas for the Sept. 13 date if Mosley doesn't sign by Feb. 8. March 15, 2002 - FightNews.com Ruiz, Johnson target May 25! Looks like WBA heavyweight titlist John Ruiz may face #1 ranked Kirk Johnson on May 25, although no deal has been finalized. Johnson's manager Ken Lilien stated that both camps like that date and Johnson is planning to fight on that date. Johnson still hasn't inked with a new promoter, although previous promoter Cedric Kushner and Don King are said to be in the mix. Johnson is Ruiz' mandatory challenger and if no deal can be worked out between the camps, the WBA will order a purse bid. April 24, 2002 - FightNews.com WBA purse bids to Miami! Due to the recent violence in Caracas, Venezuela, the April 27 purse bids for the WBA heavyweight title fight between champion John Ruiz and mandatory challenger Kirk Johnson (minimum bid $1,000,000) and WBA super welter interim title fight between Mamadou Thiam and Santiago Samaniego (minimum bid $150,000) has been moved from WBA headquarters to the Radisson Mart Plaza Hotel in Miami, Florida. If DKP and Duva Boxing finalize an agreement for Ruiz-Johnson prior to April 27, bids for that fight will be canceled. WBA Championship Chairman Renzo Bagnariol will direct the proceedings along with Gonzalo Lopez Silvero. May 1, 2002 - FightNews.com WBO purse bids tomorrow! By Gerardo M. Avila-Planas Looks like Daniel Santons first defense of the WBO 154 championship against Wayne Alexander will go to purse bids tomorrow (May 2nd) at 9:00 AM in the lobby of the Miami International Airport Hotel. The bidding will start at $200,000. According to WBO President Francisco "Paco" Varcarcel, several of the top promotion companies are expected to bid. The fight between Agapito Sanchez and Joan Guzman is also expected to be up for bid. May 3, 2002 - FightNews.com Warren wins WBO purse bids! By Robert Coster Sports Network, headed by Frank Warren, won the rights to promote the WBO jr featherweight title bout between Champion Agapito Sanchez and #1 Challenger Joan Guzman. The purse bid was held yesterday at the Miami International Airport. The outcome of the bid was contested by Ricardo Maldonado, manager-promotor of champion Sanchez, who cited "procedural irregularities" by the WBO. Maldonado, Santos' manager, called the process a "fraud" because he was not allowed to bid on behalf of the promotion company Forum Boxing. WBO president Paco Valcarcel stated that the reason Maldonado wasn't allowed to bid was because he presented a check that was not his, but rather from a person from Mexico who was unknown to the WBO. February 2, 2002 - FightNews.com Daniels camp claims collusion! By Flattop "It's been a perversion of the purse bid and we are going to litigate," declared Nick Garone, manager of Daniels. "There has been a collusion between Time Warner (HBO) and Don King. Garone is referring to Don King Productions (the only bidder) winning the Hopkins-Daniels fight on Nov 6th with a purse bid of $500,000. Daniels will receive the customary 25% (or $125,000) while Hopkins will take home his purse split of 75% ($325,000) plus his salary from his new HBO contract bringing his total up to approximately $3 million. HBO response: "HBO has nothing to do with the purse bid. That is between the promoter and the fighter(s). We buy a fight and that is the end of the story." -- Xavier James, VP of HBO Sports Programming. Carl Daniels' lawsuit against AOL-TimeWarner and Don King Productions in the United States District Court for New Jersey will allege that the defendants tortiously interfered with Daniels' business relationships and conspired to deprive him of just compensation in conjunction with a purse bid that was held for Daniels' February 2nd bout against middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins. "The key here is HBO's conduct," says Garone. "HBO was scaring off other promoters. Don knew the numbers, and HBO refused the give the numbers to other promoters. And on top of that, Kery Davis was telling other promoters not to bother bidding on the fight; that HBO wanted to work with King. That's because HBO wanted to close a multi-fight deal with King and Hopkins, which it did after the purse bid. But Carl was forced to subsidize their deal. It's another example of the system allowing certain people and certain corporations to squeeze honest fighters as hard as they can while funnelling fighters and money to each other." John Agnetti, who will represent Daniels in the litigation, is obviously in accord. "I know we're in for a fight," says Agnetti. "Boxing is controlled by a small group of people; and if you buck the system, they'll come at you with a vengeance. Also, there's a conspiracy of silence in the industry, which means it will be very hard to get all of the people involved to testify. But Hopkins-Daniels is a microcosm of how business is conducted in boxing. This lawsuit isn't just about Carl Daniels. It's about the good of the game. Fighters should get a fair shake, and Carl didn't." John Agnetti, Esquire Suite 201, 909 North Miami Beach Boulevard North Miami Beach, Florida, 33162. August 15, 2000 - HouseofBoxing James Page - Andrew (Six Heads) Lewis You still can't beat King. James Page, the WBA welterweight champ, had a possible $1 million payday against Felix Trinidad. Page elected to go with James Prince. Forget Trinidad. Now Page has to make his mandatory defense against Andrew (Six-Heads) Lewis. It went to purse bids. The only promoter making an offer was King, who bid $150,000, which means the champion's 75 percent cut comes to $112,500. It's scheduled underneath Holyfield-Ruiz....Question is why would anyone try to screw with King when a superpower like the United States can't bring him down. HouseofBoxing James Page - Andrew (Six Heads) Lewis TURNING THE PAGE: Meanwhile, hear this about WBA, those upstanding soldiers for justice: On Aug. 3, telegram signed by WBA president Gilberto Mendoza was sent to Page's lawyer advising him that no decision had been reached on his request for a new purse bid (King won the old one for $150,000, meaning Page was to receive a pittance of $112,500). Later that same day, in another telegram signed by Mendoza, Page's lawyer was told there will be no new purse bid and Saturday's fight was "mandatory." BoxingPress David Tua - Lennox Lewis Tua could earn in excess of $4 million. Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and mandatory challenger David Tua will fight Nov. 11 in either Toronto or Las Vegas. It was a fight that nearly ended up in purse bids due to a dispute over Tua's purse before being signed just before the deadline. August 15, 2000 BoxingInsider David Tua - Lennox Lewis Lewis And Tua Agree to Fight November 11 The Sports Network - London, England (Sports Network) - Representatives of Lewis and Tua were in negotiations all night. Monday into early Tuesday before reaching agreement. "In order to keep my options open, as to fighting Tua in Toronto or Las Vegas on November 11, my team had to retain control of the promotion and yet avoid the risk of going to an IBF purse bid, timed for noon today (Tuesday)," said Lewis. Had a deal not been struck there would have been a purse bid in New Jersey at the offices of the International Boxing Federation. In a purse bid, the winning promoter can stage the event with the champion receiving 75 percent of the money and the challenger getting 25 percent. August 15, 2000 ESPNBoxing David Tua - Lennox Lewis Lewis to get at least $10M, Tua $3.5M - Associated Press NEW YORK -- The agreement prevented the fight going to purse bids. Tua got $3.5M, $125,000 more than 25% of total purse of $13.5 million, plus a percentage. This is more than would have gone to him under purse bid rules as the mandatory challenger had they not agreed and it had gone to a purse bid.) HouseofBoxing David Tua - Lennox Lewis But, They (HBO) are NOT a Promoter ome interesting comments made by the president of HBO Sports Seth Abraham to Tim Smith of the New York Daily News last week. As the negotiations for a Lennox Lewis-David Tua fight hit a snag, and the possibility of a purse bid looming if an agreement can't be made, Abraham had this to say to Smith: "I like Time-Warner's chances in a purse bid, but anything could happen. We've got the champion, and when the bell sounds we like our chances in the ring, too." You know, if you substituted Time-Warner and Abraham in that statement, and replaced it with let's say, a Don King/DKP or a Bob Arum/Top Rank, it would sound exactly like what a promoter would say wouldn't it? Aren't purse bids left up to the promoters? They say they are not promoters, but as time goes on, that's exactly what they are acting like. Would they be low-balling Tua for this fight if he, like Michael Grant, was an HBO fighter and not on rival Showtime? Dan Goossen of America Presents describes the negotiations as, "at an impasse" and stated that if their company won the purse bid that the fight would be telecast by SET/Showtime. Goossen is irked that Tua is being offered substantially less than the $4 million that Grant got for facing Lewis in April. It could be Showtime The matchup between Tua and Lewis is a battle between "David and Goliath", and it has nothing to do with the fight between the fire hydrant build of Tua facing off with the power forward-like Lewis. The real battle is between HBO and Showtime. And if Tua can pull the upset, HBO is on the outside looking in at the heavyweight division - the most important, influential and glamorous in the sport of boxing. With a Tua victory, Showtime has the recognized champion, the winner of the bogus WBA title, which will be fought for by Evander Holyfield and John Ruiz and of course one, "Iron" Mike Tyson. With a Tua victory, the big winner could be Showtime. This point is not lost on HBO's Kery Davis. "That's fair to say," he said. "But I would say it in a different way. Whoever has the heavyweight champion controls the heavyweight division. Therefore, if David Tua signs an agreement with Showtime and wins the title, then yes, they control the heavyweight division. But right now Lennox Lewis has the belts and we don't see Tua beating him." Maybe on the undercard Jay Larkin can square off versus Abraham? More Showtime As a major promoter told the House a couple of weeks ago, "Showtime has made a few, key strategic moves that will make it difficult for HBO to just completely dominate the way they have." The moves he was talking about was Showtime's agreements they had made with fighters such as David Tua, Zab Judah, Kostya Tszyu, Johnny Tapia and most recently with Acelino Freitas and Harry Simon. Does this make them more competitive with HBO? "I always saw them as a competitor, but I also look at FOX and ESPN2 as a competitor," Davis said from his offices in New York. "However, are they competitive to a point where I worry about what they do? No?" The Frietas signing is significant, HBO has expressed interest in working with "Popo" and hoped to create a 130 pound round-robin with some of the other blue-chip junior lightweights. "The Frietas signing is a good signing for them," admitted Davis. "But it more reflects the relationship they have with Frank Warren." Frank Warren has had a good working relationship with Showtime the last several years. HouseofBoxing David Tua - Lennox Lewis The only possible bigger fight in the heavyweight division is of course Lewis and Tyson. And don't let the Showtime-HBO impasse fool you. The House knows that in Lewis' HBO contract, there is a one-time window to allow him to fight in case of losing a purse bid (which could become applicable in the Tua negotiations). But if Lewis-Tua works out without a purse bid, and if Tyson and Lewis continue to win, and Tyson becomes a mandatory challenger - hello. July 19, 2000 HouseofBoxing Fernando Vargas - Ross Thompson THE SCORECARD The Main Events Semi-Monthly Newsletter Issue # 64 Date: July 19, 2000 RINGSIDE NOTES VARGAS-THOMPSON TO PURSE BID: On July 24 at 12:00 p.m., the IBF will hold the Fernando Vargas vs Ross Thompson purse bid. Thompson is Vargas' mandatory challenger. June 27, 2000 HouseofBoxing Fernando Vargas - Ross Thompson THE SCORECARD The Main Events Semi-Monthly Newsletter Issue # 63 Date: June 27, 2000 RINGSIDE NOTES August 26: Undefeated IBF jr. middleweight champion Fernando Vargas (19-0, 17 KO's) will make his fifth title defense against an opponent yet to be determined. Main Events is in negotiations with Don King Productions for the opponent to be IBF #1 mandatory challenger Ross Thompson. June 27, 2000 Zab Judah -Terron Millett THE SCORECARD The Main Events Semi-Monthly Newsletter Issue # 63 Date: June 27, 2000 RINGSIDE NOTES - A purse bid has been set for July 6 to decide who will promote the IBF junior welterweight championship bout between champion Zab Judah (23-0, 17 KO's) and former IBF champion and current mandatory challenger Terron Millett. Should Main Events win the purse bid, the 12 round title bout will be held on August 5. June, 2000 ESPNBoxing Zab Judah -Terron Millett Finally, here's something in the world beyond Friday Night Fights that you can really look forward to: the Zab Judah-Terron Millett fight goes to purse bids in a few weeks, which means that Judah will get his title shot, maybe before this year is out. March 29,1999 FightResults Roy Jones, Jr. - Graziano Rocchigiani JONES-ROCCHIGIANI PURSE OFFER ANNOUNCED WBC President Jose Sulaiman, in support of the WBC legal committee's recent determination, has issued the following statement: "The WBC has endeavored fruitlessly to coordinate the mandatory bout for the undisputed WBC light heavyweight world title between WBC world champion Roy Jones, Jr., and WBC interim champion Graziano Rocchigiani. "As it seems that there is not voluntary agreement to hold the fight and the date is overdue, the WBC, in accordance with Rule2 of the WBC Rules and Regulations, has scheduled a purse offer to be held on April 12, 1999, at 12:00 noon, at the Executive Offices of the WBC in Mexico City. Promoters and other interested parties are hereby notified." April 3, 1998 MainEvents Ike Quartey - Andre Pestriaey PURSE BID FOR QUARTEY-PESTRIAEV: On Friday, April 3, 1998 in Puerto Rico, the World Boxing Association will hold a purse bid for Ike Quartey's mandatory defense against Andre Pestriaev . . . March 1998 FightResults Kennedy McKinney - Naseem Hamed - Ritchie Westin Howie Albert is not happy with the WBO. Albert sent the Fite Site a release saying the WBO Puerto-Rico based organization did not allow Kennedy McKinney any representation when a purse bid was held last Saturday. McKinney is the WBO junior featherweight champion. He is promoted by Murad Muhammed who Albert works for in many capacities. According to Albert, McKinney was told by promoter Frank Warren that he would get over one million dollars to fight WBO featherweight king Naseem Hamed in England. Muhammad agreed. The Albert says Warren then went to the WBO and asked them to do a purse bid with the number one contender, the Warren-promoted Ritchie Westin. Albert goes on saying Muhammed had been in negotiation two days prior to the purse bid ("Make a deal beneficial to both fighters") and sent a letter demanding an extension. According to Albert, the WBO never called McKinney to congratulate him on being the new champion (12/98 KO-4, Junior Jones). But as Albert put it," They did call him about the dismal purse bid outcome. Kennedy's share of the purse bid is an insult." November 22, 1995 SportsServer Kostya Tszyu - Hugo Pineda IBF cleared to take title from Tszyu NEWARK, N.J. (Nov 22, 1995 - 19:24 EST) -- The IBF was cleared Wednesday to strip Kostya Tszyu of his junior welterweight title after a judge vacated a restraining order. The IBF has said it would take such action because of Tszyu's refusal to go to Colombia to fight a mandatory defense Saturday against top-ranked contender Hugo Pineda. Tszyu, a Russian, feared for his safety in Colombia. William Cham of Colombia, Pineda's promoter, won a purse bid for the fight and it had been scheduled for Saturday at Cartagena, Colombia. Lee said Cham outbid Warton by $900. June 28, 1995 NandoNews George Foreman - Axel Schultz Foreman to relinquish title rather than give Schulz rematch LOS ANGELES (06-28-95) -- George Foreman has decided to relinquish his International Boxing Federation heavyweight championship and not give Germany's Axel Schulz a rematch, the Los Angeles Times reported. The IBF ordered Foreman to give Schulz a rematch and said it would strip him of the title if he refused. German promoters originally offered Foreman $25 million for a rematch in Germany this year, but rescinded that offer and refused to make another when it became apparent that the IBF would open the bidding to purse bids, the Times reported in its Thursday editions. In that case, rival promoters submit sealed offers and the total purse is split -- 75 percent to the champion and 25 percent to the challenger. The purse bid offer from Germany would probably be $10 million, meaning $7.5 million to Foreman and $2.5 million to Schulz. For their first fight, Foreman got $10 million and Schulz $350,000. Relevant articles illustrating the need for a new system: WBA rejects Toney's request for higher split in Ruiz fight Ruiz awaits respect, worthy foe 1996 Federal Legislation H.R.4167 Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act H.R.1832 The United States Boxing Administration FightersOnline Home PurseBid Home |