07.02.07 – By Michael Marley, BoxingConfidential.com: Who Killed Cock Robin? Who cares about such childish stories? Boxing fans want to know Who Next Fights WBC Champ Oleg Maskaev. After a four-hour midtown Manhattan law office “informal mediation” session Wednesday night, the answer is that the question has yet to be resolved.
And, yes, you nitpickers out there, I was off by 10 percent on my reportage of the offer made by the Maskaev and V. Klitschko interests at the bargaining table which was presided over by WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman. Does that mean I had the story only 90 percent right? I hate when that happens. “You are slipping, Marley,” Maskaev promoter Dennis Rappaport said. “Bernd Boente (Vitali rep) was not at the meeting.” The pretty Peter package, which Peter’s co-promoters Dino Duva and Don King and manager Iyavalo Gotzev are mulling over as you read this is:
A step aside fee of $2.5 million to allow Vitali and Oleg to fight in Moscow in May; a written guarantee from Maskaev, Vitali and the WBC that no one will get between the winner defending against Sam Peter immediately and a 50-50 purse fee split which will guarantee Peter another $3 million to fight the winner in September.
Rappaport said it would be “outrageous” if Peter’s reps do not accept such a financial package.
“Don’t they owe it to their fighter to advise him to take this? Sam Peter could be independently wealthy for the rest of his life, he could live off the interest on this,” Rappaport said. “How in good conscience can they turn down the $2.5 million to wait one month for the mandatory? They say their fear is that, if Vitali wins, he would not fight Peter. If they turn this down, it will be the worst business decision in boxing history.”
Here are some facts as Maskaev and Klitschko continue to press the WBC to allow them to fight each, probably in May in Moscow using the organization’s “champion emeritus” except which was granted to Vitali when he retired with his title belt due to knee surgery.
Fact 1. Maskaev promoter Dennis “The Menace” Rappaport sounds like a broken record but he is right in saying that Maskaev could make Peter wait for a title at least until August 12.
Fact 2. Peter would collect $5.5 million guaranteed and could make even more if Vitali knocks off Maksaev.
Fact 3. Would it kill younger man Peter to wait 30 days for his title shot? Is he afraid the WBC might start issuing some more “champion emeritus” free passes to mandatory title shots?
So should Peter grab the money and run? Or should he go to court to fight on?
What do you say, fight fans?
(mlcmarley@aol.com)