By Rick Reeno
Yvon Michel, promoter for WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson, says his fighter has no problem with accepting a 50-50 deal to unify with IBF/WBO/WBA light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev - but Stevenson will NOT accept a contract which automatically orders the fight to be carried on HBO.
Kovalev's promoter, Kathy Duva of Main Events, withdrew her fighter from a WBC mandated purse bid earlier this year - because her boxer is under a multi-fight contract with HBO and there was a high probability that her company would get outbid - forcing Kovalev to fight Stevenson on a rival network.
Duva says there is a 50-50 deal on the table and they will fight Stevenson in Montreal, but the match must be on HBO. Michel has no issue with any of the terms - other than Duva's demand that HBO must be the network of choice.
Michel says Stevenson is willing to face Kovalev on HBO - if HBO offers up the most money for the match. If Showtime, Premier Boxing Champions or some other network is willing to pay more than HBO - Michel sees no reason for both fighters to accept a deal which guarantees them less money.
He says HBO has no pressure to offer up a significant rights fee when Duva appoints them as the only horse in the race.
Earlier this year, Golden Boy Promotions/Banner Promotions placed Lucas Matthysse vs. Ruslan Provodnikov on the open market. Both Showtime and HBO were bidding for the rights, with HBO coming out on top.
"50-50 with Kovalev we'll do all the time, but we have to agree to go to the best offer. 50-50 is no problem. But we have to go to the best offer. If HBO has the best offer, we're going to do it on HBO. But if there is someone else, Showtime or someone else makes a better offer - then we want to do it there. It's fair that we go wherever there is the most money," Michel told BoxingScene.com.
Kovalev will return in the fall, likely on November 28th in Moscow, Russia. Stevenson is going to fight in September, and the details of that return will be announced at a press conference in the coming days.