By Mark Vester

As reported several days ago, the junior featherweight title unification bout between champions Steve Molitor (27-0, 10KOs) and Celestino Caballero (29-2, 20KOs) has been set for November 21 at Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada. Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing and Molitor's promoter Allan Trembley recently met to finalize the deal and the contracts were signed. Molitor must first win his title defense against undefeated Ceferino Dario Labarda (18-0, 7KOs), scheduled for August 29, also at Casino Rama.

MaxBoxing/BoxingScene.com obtained a letter that was sent to Showtime and the parties involved, from Ricardo Salazar of One More Round Enterprises, informing the network of his claim to Molitor and an ongoing lawsuit between OMR and Molitor in Canada.

I hope you have had a few hours to relax after a busy weekend in the Cayman Islands and in Hollywood, FL.  I am writing you because of the recent column penned by ESPN.com writer Dan Rafael in which he states that the Showtime Network will likely televise Steve Molitor vs. Celestino Caballero in the event that Molitor is successful in his August defense against Argentine Caferino Labarda.
 
Please be advised that my company, One More Round Enterprises, Inc. (OMR), holds the worldwide promotional rights of IBF Jr. Featherweight Champion Steve “The Canadian Kid” Molitor.  This includes 100% of the broadcast rights worldwide and 50% of any Canadian broadcast.  The only rights OMR does not own are the rights to promote him in Canada, the United Kingdom and Western New York State.  Any fight, either live or broadcast live or on a delay-basis, in the United States or any other country belongs solely to OMR.  You might not be aware, but a $10 million lawsuit was filed early last year in Ontario, Canada, for breach of contract which it’s currently in the Discovery stages.  The current Team Molitor actually filed a counter claim against me/OMR in May 2007 in Newark Federal Court.  This claim was vigorously defended and it was subsequently thrown out by Newark Federal Judge Susan Wiggenton.  As a result, they have been forced to stay out of the U.S.  They can’t fight in the United States so they have been fighting, exclusively, in Canada ever since the Honorable Judge Wiggenton issued her order.
 
I really don’t want to put you or the prestigious Showtime Network in the middle of a lawsuit involving the parties of the current legal action against Molitor et. al.  I am simply, out of courtesy, giving you information ahead of time so that Showtime knows that I will not let any network televise a fight involving Molitor here in the U.S.  Molitor’s manager and promoter (James Jardine and Allan Tremblay) are very aware of this and they've already seen the result when they tried to pull a fast one here in the U.S.  They quickly went back to Canada with their tails in between their legs and it will happen again if they think I will just sit and let this happen without anyone being held accountable. - Ricardo Salazar

Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingscene@hotmail.com