The proposed April 16th battle between Wladimir Klitshcko and IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd is officially off according to promoter Don King.
Don King, in a last ditch effort to save the fight, offered Chris Byrd $3.5 million dollars to seal the deal. Chris Byrd was still not sold and balked at the offer. Byrd is still unhappy with having to fight Klitschko in Germany and is disputing that he is responsible for covering a $250,000 fee to his co-promoter Fight Night. Chris Byrd is claiming that Don King is contracted to pay the $250K fee to Fight Night, King says that Byrd is responsible for the fee.
King is steamed over the proposed fight falling apart and said that Byrd will not earn anywhere near the $3.5 million dollar amount to fight any other heavyweight contender on United States soil. details]
i think differently. Bryd needs to take this fight as Vladimir is on a downward spiral. I think Bryd could ko him in the middle rounds. He needs to take time off. Saying this Bryd also has looked shaky lately. They are both B-fighters anyways ImO and no threats.
If Byrd goes to Germany there is virtualy no chance of winning. We all know the odds of him knocking out Klit, almost as bad as being ahead on the scorecards in Klits home country. This is a no win situation for Byrd.
Toney Vs Ruiz is signed. As for Byrd, he isn`t afraid of Klitscko at all. The big deal is fighting in Germany. Last time Byrd was there to fight Wlad he sited all his hang ups on the way he was treated, he claimed they delibrately unsettled him before the fight and vowed never to return to Germany. So, when Don King arranges a fight against the same guy who beat him there i beat Byrd`s alarm bells start to ring and he panics. I think Byrd is right. HE is the champion not Klit, why should he give up home ground a second time, hell its not even a mandatory and King/HBO are treating Byrd like it is. They believe Klit will beat Byrd you see and they want to force Byrd into the fight!
I also don't think that Ruiz vs Toney is going to happen, so maybe Toney and Byrd will get it on. Both these guys want to fight one another because neither one views the other as much of a threat to them.
that'd be the match i'd put money on happening, Byrd wants to fight Toney, Toney needs IBF hw championship to complete his collection of IBF belts
I also don't think that Ruiz vs Toney is going to happen, so maybe Toney and Byrd will get it on. Both these guys want to fight one another because neither one views the other as much of a threat to them.
Good stuff Rick. Its going to be really interesting to see who Byrd fights instead of Wlad now because I've heard that Barrett's cut won't heal for quite a few more months. I also heard that Rahman won't fight Vitali for $2 million, and that he wants it to go to a purse instead. He says that if he doesn't he get more in the purse, he'd get 25%, that he is not going to fight Vitali. He'd probably get much less if the fight went to a purse because its not PPV and I can't see anyone putting up more than $8 for this fight. The two babies, Byrd and Rahman should just fight each now.
Of course Byrd is scared. Last time they fought Wladimir slapped him around the ring for 12 rounds. Byrd doenst wanna go through that again. Byrd knows that without title he isnt anything so he wants to keep it and fight Monte Barrett. Or was it Micheal Grant?