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LAND OF KINGS -- Promoter Don King said he has reached a deal for a WBA heavyweight title fight between Las Vegan John Ruiz and No. 1 contender James Toney, but the other major fights he hoped to make are falling apart.
IBF champion Chris Byrd of Las Vegas declined what King described as a $3.6 million offer to fight Wladimir Klitschko in Germany on April 16. HBO plans to go ahead with a Klitschko fight on that date without Byrd.
The promoter also was incensed when Steve Nelson, the business manager for Rahman, the WBC's No. 1 contender, wrote to the organization requesting a purse bid for his challenge of champion Vitali Klitschko. King said he had already secured at least $3 million for Rahman, which he said Rahman would not come close to getting via purse bid.
In a purse bid, promoters put in sealed bids with a price they're willing to pay to promote a fight. The highest bid wins, with 75 percent of the bid going to the champion and 25 percent to the challenger.
"Who do they think is going to bid more than $12 million for this fight," King said. "Explain to me the business strategy of not being happy with $3 million and going to a process where you probably will only get around $1 million? It reeks of incompetence."
King railed on Byrd adviser John Hornewer for Hornewer's inability to deliver the fighter.
"I guess I'll see him in six months," King said of Byrd. "I lived up to our contract and made him the offer and he turned it down. It is the ******est decision I've seen in my time. I love Chris Byrd, he's a remarkable fighter, but he can't draw flies at a dump. Turning this down is incredible. It's the worst advice I've seen."
IBF champion Chris Byrd of Las Vegas declined what King described as a $3.6 million offer to fight Wladimir Klitschko in Germany on April 16. HBO plans to go ahead with a Klitschko fight on that date without Byrd.
The promoter also was incensed when Steve Nelson, the business manager for Rahman, the WBC's No. 1 contender, wrote to the organization requesting a purse bid for his challenge of champion Vitali Klitschko. King said he had already secured at least $3 million for Rahman, which he said Rahman would not come close to getting via purse bid.
In a purse bid, promoters put in sealed bids with a price they're willing to pay to promote a fight. The highest bid wins, with 75 percent of the bid going to the champion and 25 percent to the challenger.
"Who do they think is going to bid more than $12 million for this fight," King said. "Explain to me the business strategy of not being happy with $3 million and going to a process where you probably will only get around $1 million? It reeks of incompetence."
King railed on Byrd adviser John Hornewer for Hornewer's inability to deliver the fighter.
"I guess I'll see him in six months," King said of Byrd. "I lived up to our contract and made him the offer and he turned it down. It is the ******est decision I've seen in my time. I love Chris Byrd, he's a remarkable fighter, but he can't draw flies at a dump. Turning this down is incredible. It's the worst advice I've seen."
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