Steve Molitor in bitter split with Canadian promoter

Steve Molitor in bitter split with Canadian promoter

Boxer says purse offer insulting

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Just one week ago Allan Tremblay was announcing the biggest fight of Canadian boxer Steve Molitor's career. Now it appears the promoter is on the outside looking in.
Molitor expressed disdain Thursday for the financial terms of what would have been the biggest fight of his career, while Tremblay said it looked like the split was permanent.
Both parties confirmed the split Thursday for CBCSports.ca after the website ***********.com reported that promoter Murad Muhammad is dangling a two-year, $2 million US deal in front of Molitor.
Molitor, the 122-pound International Boxing Federation titleholder, said he is a free agent who hasn't signed with a promoter, although he said something official would be announced soon.
The Sarnia, Ont., native won the vacant International Boxing Federation junior featherweight title in England in November 2006. Since then, he's made four title defences promoted by Tremblay's Orion Sports Management at Casino Rama near Orillia, Ont.
All bouts were televised nationally in Canada and Molitor became the first Ontario-born fighter to defend a title in his province. Molitor (27-0, 10 knockouts) easily outpointed Fernando Beltran of Mexico in April, his most recent and perhaps most impressive performance.
Molitor, 28, told CBCSports.ca. that his purses didn't increase over the course of the arrangement and that he has to look after his financial well-being as a fighter.
"I love the fans here in Canada.... I enjoyed my time with Casino Rama, but everyone knows that the boxing world lives in the United States," said Molitor. "So if that's where I gotta go, that's where I gotta go."
While Molitor was raising his profile in Canada against decent opposition, the division was heating up elsewhere. Champions Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez engaged in one of the best trilogies in boxing history, while titlists Celestino Caballero and Daniel (Ponce) De Leon were fighting regularly and becoming more well-known to U.S. fight fans than Molitor.
It seemed a step in the right direction when Tremblay announced last week that World Boxing Association champion Caballero had been enticed to Ontario for a unification fight in November.
"He offered $175,000 for that fight. That's small potatoes," said Molitor. "That's what you offer a prostitute."
Tremblay countered that the purses were above industry standard and the biggest of each fighter's career.
"If it's good enough for Caballero, the champion of the WBA longer than Molitor's been [champion], and he's coming to his backyard," said the promoter.


Tremblay disappointed

Tremblay said he was disappointed that the fighter hadn't returned his calls.
"This is a second career for me. I got into this to have a lot of fun," said Tremblay. "I don't really need the grief.
"I made a mistake, probably, getting a little too close to the fighter. We've been through a lot together," he added.
Meanwhile, one of boxing's biggest promoters said in the *********** report that it would be a huge mistake for Molitor to hook up with Muhammad.
Muhammad has promoted big fights since the 1970s, involving stars like Larry Holmes and Evander Holyfield, but has also been embroiled in litigation with several fight figures, including current champion Manny Pacquiao and promoter Lou DiBella.
"The Canadian Kid would have to be the stupidest kid on earth to get suckered in by Murad Muhammad," DiBella told ***********.
While Molitor sorts out his future, both Caballero and DeLeon make title defences this weekend. Caballero will take on Lorenzo Parra of Venezuela, while DeLeon faces undefeated Puerto Rican Juan Manuel Lopez.
For his part, Tremblay said he will continue to put on exciting fight cards in Ontario.

 

Molitor a free agent!

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]With no contract in place for the current IBF world champ, Steve Molitor (27-0 10KO) has declared himself a free agent and is looking to land something more lucrative south of the Canadian border. "I want to be remembered as a champion who beat the very best in the world, and that is exactly what I plan to do," stated Molitor.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"There is no future with them," said trainer Chris Johnson speaking on Molitor's behalf stating that the fighter was not happy with the deal being presented to him by Orion Sports Management, his promoter dating back to before he was world champion. Johnson stated for the record that Molitor has made the same money for the last four fights, two of which were mandatory title defenses, with no increases to his purse and that the scheduled unification bout for August 29th against Celestino Cabellero only promised to be a slight increase. "After defending four times in nine months, the Kid deserves a decent raise; we don't think that would be asking too much."[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In the same breath he stated that Molitor and himself would like to thank Casino Rama, his home for all four of his world title defenses, for their hospitality and that they have the utmost respect for the Casino saying they were always treated very well there. Molitor has stated that he harbours no hard feelings towards Orion but that the change had to be made.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Team Molitor has also declared itself free and clear of American promoter Ricardo Salazar and intends to be shopped in the United States to gain more exposure and notoriety. "He has proven himself in Canada, now its time for the world to know what Steve Molitor is all about" Johnson said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]He also stated that the amount of fights his boxer had to endure in such a short amount of time had left him burnt out and depleted. "The longest rest he had before the Beltran fight was one week, the cut sustained in the Castillo fight had not even healed up 100% and The Kid was obligated to fight Beltran, not acceptable.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Steve wants as he always has, a chance to prove himself on the world scale, while he has pumped new life to boxing in Ontario, and Canada for that matter, he wants very strongly to be just as respected globally and with Orion content to have him fight here in Canada, time for change has come."[/FONT]

 

Thanks for the updates meng :good