Schaefer: Ortiz vs Kotelnik Not Likely, Too Far Apart
By Lem Satterfield
A proposed fight between junior welterweights Victor Ortiz and Andriy Kotelnik is probably not going to happen on December 11, says Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.
Schaefer wanted to place the fight as the HBO televised co-feature to Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was discussing the fight with Kotelnik's promoter Don King, but the two sides are far apart on the money and Schaefer is already considering other options like IBF contender Kaizer Mabuza. Another option, although very unlikely, is unbeaten British lightweight John Murray.
"I think we are further apart rather than being closer on the Victor Ortiz-Andriy Kotelnik fight, to tell you the truth," said Schaefer. "There is just not enough money. I can not make it happen with the kind of money that HBO is putting on the table, so I don't think that it's going to work."
"The fact is that Kotelnik lost against Devon Alexander, he's lost against Amir Khan, and, he won a controversial decision against Maidana. I think that Ortiz and Kotelnik need to be a bit more reasonable if they want to get into a fight like that. But it doesn't look that's going to happen. I'm trying to get a hold of [HBO's Senior Vice President of Programming] Kery Davis to see what can be done, but I think that we're going to have to look at other potential opponents."
Lem Satterfield is the boxing editor at AOL FanHouse and the news editor at BoxingScene.com. To read more from Lem Satterfield, go to AOL FanHouse by Clicking Here.
