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Press Release: Leon Margules, head of Seminole Warriors Boxing has just informed HBO executives that he is "not interested" in having Edison Miranda fight former champion Mikkel Kessler on June 21, 2008 despite the fact that Kessler readily agreed to holding the fight at the Warriors Arena in Hollywood, Florida.
When this fight was trying to be put together for rival network Showtime, Margules sent out press release after press release accusing the Kessler team of being dirty, dishonest and scared of fighting the twice-beaten Miranda. The press releases compared Kessler to a *****cat and accused the man whose only loss in 40 pro bouts was to undefeated legend Joe Calzaghe of wishing to stay in "a cocoon" in his native Denmark. That conveniently ignored the fact that Kessler's first title was in Australia against Tony Mundine and that he willingly went to Wales to fight Calzaghe in front of 50,000 partisan fans.
"We called Miranda's bluff," Kessler matchmaker Mogens Palle said Monday night. "We lobbied for Miranda to move up from the Number 6 contender spot to Number 2 so that we could satisfy HBO with a title bout. We were willing to fight Miranda at the Seminole Warriors' own hotel-casino and arena.
"All the while Margules was pumping out demeaning and 100 percent false press releases about us and about Kessler being this meek, little kitten afraid to get into the ring with the big, bad Panther. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Margules would fold like a cheap umbrella in a windstorm. When we agreed to come to his arena with four neutral, WBA officials and even got clearance on that from the Florida commission, I thought this fight was ready to be signed. So did the HBO people." Margules gave the HBO executives the stunning news at about 3 pm, EDT.
"I am satsified that the HBO folks know that I wanted to fight Miranda, title or non title, on their air June 21. I am in training and I hope that HBO can find someone who is willing to fight me on that specific date. I will fight anyone they put in front of me for the right price," Kessler said. Kessler's agent, Michael Marley, confirmed what Palle said.
When this fight was trying to be put together for rival network Showtime, Margules sent out press release after press release accusing the Kessler team of being dirty, dishonest and scared of fighting the twice-beaten Miranda. The press releases compared Kessler to a *****cat and accused the man whose only loss in 40 pro bouts was to undefeated legend Joe Calzaghe of wishing to stay in "a cocoon" in his native Denmark. That conveniently ignored the fact that Kessler's first title was in Australia against Tony Mundine and that he willingly went to Wales to fight Calzaghe in front of 50,000 partisan fans.
"We called Miranda's bluff," Kessler matchmaker Mogens Palle said Monday night. "We lobbied for Miranda to move up from the Number 6 contender spot to Number 2 so that we could satisfy HBO with a title bout. We were willing to fight Miranda at the Seminole Warriors' own hotel-casino and arena.
"All the while Margules was pumping out demeaning and 100 percent false press releases about us and about Kessler being this meek, little kitten afraid to get into the ring with the big, bad Panther. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Margules would fold like a cheap umbrella in a windstorm. When we agreed to come to his arena with four neutral, WBA officials and even got clearance on that from the Florida commission, I thought this fight was ready to be signed. So did the HBO people." Margules gave the HBO executives the stunning news at about 3 pm, EDT.
"I am satsified that the HBO folks know that I wanted to fight Miranda, title or non title, on their air June 21. I am in training and I hope that HBO can find someone who is willing to fight me on that specific date. I will fight anyone they put in front of me for the right price," Kessler said. Kessler's agent, Michael Marley, confirmed what Palle said.
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