Tua Asks Senator McCain For Help Fighting WBO
26.03 - Cedric Kushner has personally requested Senator John McCain to investigate the World Boxing Organization's (WBO) exclusion of it's No. 1-rated heavyweight contender, DAVID TUA, from negotiating for a mandatory challenge against WBO heavyweight champion, Corrie Sanders. Kushner is Tua's promoter.
"Something is not Kosher with the way the WBO is giving David Tua the bum's rush," said Martin Pugh, Tua's co-manager. "That is why Cedric went to a higher authority – Senator McCain."
The WBO ordered its new heavyweight champion Sanders to defend his title within 120 days of "acquisition of the title, against the Best Classified Contender Available." The problem is, the WBO is violating its own rules by ignoring its "Best Classified Contender Available" -- WBO No. 1 contender Tua. Instead, the WBO has decided that second-best is good enough – Lamon Brewster, the WBO's, No. 2-rated contender.
The WBO released a statement yesterday, which included the following: "The World Boxing Organization cannot freeze its proceedings pending the outcome of the Tua vs. Rahman bout. If Tua wins, and decides to face WBO Champion Sanders, it would take him considerable time to rest and recover from his bout with Rahman and then prepare to face Sanders, thus not complying with the July 4 deadline set by the WBO Rules."
"Now the WBO has added fortune telling to its purvey," countered Pugh. "Who are they to predetermine what David's condition will be BEFORE he fights Rahman?!!!
"The WBO declared Tua unavailable without any formal notice to him, his management or his promoter. Tua is available to negotiate and has always been available to negotiate. If Tua is the No. 1 contender and he's available to negotiate, I think it is safe to say Tua is the ‘Best Classified Contender Available.'"
Tua is scheduled to fight Hasim Rahman, at the First Union Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA, March 29. The fight will be televised on HBO's "World Championship Boxing," beginning at 10 P.M. EST / 7 P.M. PST.
On March 18, Luis Batista Salas, Chairman of the WBO Championship Committee, stated in a letter to Rodney Berman, Sanders' promoter, "We cannot await the results of this [Tua vs Rahman] for considerations of any sort but a Rahman win would not place him in the number one position. The Championship Committee has thus designated now ranked #2 Lamon Brewster for Corrie Sanders next title defense..."
"Salas states in his letter that a Rahman win would not get him rated No. 1, but what Salas conveniently omits is, that if Tua wins, Tua REMAINS the WBO No. 1 contender," said Pugh.
Salas closed the letter stating that the promoters of the two fighters, Berman and Don King [Brewster's promoter] "Must inform WBO if they wish to negotiate within a 30-day period or go to an immediate Purse Bid."
On March 19, Dana Jamison, an executive of Don King Productions, faxed a letter to Mr. Salas of the WBO requesting an immediate purse bid. Later that same day, the WBO issued a Notice of Purse Bid, scheduled for March 28 in Hamburg, Germany.
"THIRTY DAYS to negotiate," continued Pugh. "If the WBO can wait 30 days to negotiate the fight what is the harm in waiting one day to see if Tua is victorious against Rahman on Saturday? I have no problem making Tua's 30-day negotiation period inclusive of the time leading up to the Rahman fight to meet the WBO's deadline. I find it so curious that the WBO goes from a 30-day period of negotiation to a purse bid one day before David's fight against Rahman. David Tua is the ‘Best Classified Contender Available. All we ask is that the WBO adhere to its own rules and respect its own ratings."
