By Rick Reeno
Sources close to the situation have informed BoxingScene.com that Andrew Golota (39-6-1, 32 KOs) will not be the opponent fighting Samuel Peter (28-1, 22 KOs) on Showtime's Oct. 6 event at New York's Madison Square Garden. It now appears that Jameel McCline (38-7-3, 23 KOs) is the new frontrunner to land the WBC interim title bout. McCline is currently scheduled to see action on the undercard against DaVarryl Williamson.
Golota was the opponent of choice by lead promoter DKP (Don King Productions) and Peter's handlers, mainly because of his name value that continues to sell a lot of tickets in New York area. The fight was close to done deal, but hit a huge snag when Showtime turned the fight down.
It's still not clear if the WBC would have even agreed to sanction the fight, especially since Golota is not ranked by the sanctioning body. Golota will still face Kevin McBride in a crossroads bout on the undercard.
Oliver McCall, ranked third by the WBC, was more than willing to take the fight. Sources told BoxingScene that McCall and his handlers were asking for a lot more money than he was worth, a sum of money that was deemed "ridiculous" by the promoters.
Don King has been scrambling since last week to find a late replacement for WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev, who pulled out the Oct. 6 title defense against Peter after suffering a back injury. A tough task, even for King, since the opponent has to be approved by both the WBC and Showtime.
