Solis wants 1.5 mil to fight Vitali

[RAZZ-MCFC]

The team behind WBC mandatory heavyweight challenger, Odlanier Solis, have begun negotiations with the camp of WBC champion Vitali Klitschko. Solis beat Ray Austin last Friday in Miami, Florida to earn the shot at Klitschko. The fight is already having some issues as Solis is requesting 1.5 million euros for the contest. The parties have to reach an agreement by January 7 or the contest will head to a purse bid.

 

"If the teams do not come to an agreement, the right to host the bout will be auctioned off at the purse bid," said Bernd Boente, manager of Klitschko.

 

If it goes to a purse bid, the champion will receive a 70-30 split in his favor. The style of the negotiations should not surprise Team Klitschko. Promoter Don King, who is now handling Solis along with Ahmet Oner of Arena Box, was the person most blamed for the failure in reaching a deal between Vitali and "Russian Giant" Nikolai Valuev. King made several "high" demands that forced Vitali to secure fights against other foes like Albert Sosnowski and Shannon Briggs.

 

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=34048

[gavpowell]

1.5 million euros will be worth about 20 quid by the time of the fight, I'd snap his hand off. And then knock his block off.

[brooklynbrawler]

With the Klitschko's TV deal, I'm not convinced they earn enough to pay a mandatory challenger 1.5m Euros.

If it gets picked up by a US network, then it should easily, but that would probably require it to be based in the US and going to purse.

Exciting fight anyway, and one I'm looking forward to.

I'd have Solis as Vitali's biggest test since his return, and if he had faced Wlad, then I'd give him every chance of pulling off the win.

As it stands, the chances of him winning are about the same as the purse....30/70 imo.

[dulais_valley]

I hate the "they had not other choice but to fight Albert Sosnowski". What bullshit. They have all the choice, they don't have to be taking the lion's share of the money if they really want a fight. It was just an easier fight and they could give away much less because Albert knew he wasn't deserving of a shot anyway.