HBO Protecting Amir Khan? Industry Chatter is Shocking - Boxing News
By Rick Reeno
This past Tuesday, I broke the news regarding an agreement being reached for a junior welterweight slugfest between WBA interim-champion Marcos Maidana and unbeaten Victor Cayo, which is scheduled for March 27 on HBO.
I received a shocking phone call Wednesday night from promoter Gary Shaw, who is currently in Mexico for this Saturday's Showtime card that features Edwin Valero vs. Antonio DeMarco. Shaw wanted to know if I had heard, or had any information, regarding the industry chatter with respect to the contract terms for the Maidana-Cayo fight. Prior to Shaw's phone call, I heard strange rumblings about the contract terms in question.
Shaw made a very good financial offer to Golden Boy for a fight between Maidana and WBC champion Timothy Bradley and they turned it down. He found the entire situation strange because there was good money involved, and a major title, but his curiosity was really poked when he, like me, began to hear some very strange rumors throughout the day.
From what Shaw had heard from several friends in the industry, there is a very interesting contract clause connected to the Maidana-Cayo fight. What is the clause you ask? Basically the winner has to stay away from WBA 140-pound champion Amir Khan for a period of twelve months or three fights - whichever comes first.
I'm sure some people are asking - "Why would the winner agree to that?" Well, there is a good answer for that. Several sources told BoxingScene the winner would receive a guarantee for a certain number of future HBO appearances [I heard at least two dates] and they don't come easy these days.
I decided to call several people insiders, and sure enough, everyone had heard the same exact thing.
One major promoter told BoxingScene.com - "I can't believe HBO is negotiating step-asides for Amir Khan. Are they a network or a promotional company?"
Another major promoter said - "Why are you surprised? Do you really think Golden Boy Promotions and HBO want Khan to lose any time soon? Look at Khan's fight with Marquez. Both of them are with Golden Boy and you can see the favoritism for Khan to win in their comments to the press. They did the same thing to Barrera and that's why he left."
Shaw doesn't know if the industry chatter is true, but everyone is talking about it. From my end, I called several promoters and well-connected managers and all of them had knowledge of these rumors. You know the old saying - where there's smoke, there's fire.
"It's very strange. I tried to make a fight for Bradley with Maidana and Amir Khan. They both refused which is highly unusual because there was good money involved and they would fight the number one junior welterweight in the world for the WBC title. If this is supposed to be HBO's next superstar [Khan], then how does he turn down a fight with the best 140-pounder in the world? If they don't want to fight Bradley, Vic Darchinyan is available," Shaw said.
