By Rick Reeno
According to Bernd Boente, manager of WBC heavyweight Vitali Klitschko, the offer of $2.5 million that was presented to Nikolai Valuev - is old. Valuev's promoter Don King circulated a press release on Thursday announcing that his fighter has accepted an offer of $2.5 million to fight Klitschko.
Boente told BoxingScene.com that an offer of $1.5 million has been sitting on the table for several weeks. The offer of $2.5 million was made months ago, which Valuev turned down as his team made a counter-demand of $4 million. Boente tells BoxingScene the offer of $1.5 million is firm and will not increase.
"It's an old offer [the $2.5 million] from months ago for a stadium event. Now with the different exchange rate and different timing, we offer King for weeks $1.5 and [we] will not increase the amount. Valuev is coming [off] a loss to [David] Haye, lost to [Ruslan] Chagaev and from my point of view also to [Evander] Holyfield and has never made more money [than our offer]," Boente told BoxingScene.com
"Valuev has no other options except fighting Haye in a rematch. But who wants to see that fight? So it's up to King to either accept it or let the "young kid" Valuev wait for another couple of months. King always thought that Valuev [will] fight [Odlanier] Solis for the mandatory position but that [mandatory] fight is [really] between [Ray] Austin and Solis. So now Valuev has only two options left - a rematch against Haye or fight Vitali Klitschko for the WBC belt."
