By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com has been advised that a potential middleweight bout, between WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams, has hit a serious roadblock in the ongoing negotiations between Top Rank and Dan Goossen. The two sides are far apart on the money.
From what I was told, HBO is offering up $3.75 million for the fight. Pavlik would get $1.75 [plus a piece of gate, etc.], Williams to get $1.55 and Top Rank would get $500K. HBO wants the date of September 26 to pair it with the replay of Floyd Mayweather Jr-Juan Manuel Marquez. Top Rank was offering $1.25 to Williams and raised it to $1.55 last week. HBO is pushing for the fight to happen but they may have to offer up more money to make it happen and that's a longshot based on their tight budget.
The big roadblock is the gate and the money coming in from the sponsors [estimated to be a few million]. Goossen wants to split the gate/sponsorship money down the middle and of course Top Rank is not going to do that. Top Rank bases their position on the fact - that regardless of whether or not it's Williams in the other corner - Pavlik will sell out the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Based on that, obviously Top Rank does not see a reason to give Goossen/Williams a piece of the gate or their sponsorship money.
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