Klitschko team offering Valuev $1.5 million, not $2.5 million
June 17th, 2010
By Jim Dower: Earlier today, former WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev’s promoter sent out a press release, saying that they were accepting a $2.5 million offer for Valuev to fight World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko. However, Fightnews.com, is reporting that Klitschko manager Bernd Bonte says that was an old offer made eight months back and that the current offer is $1.5 million and has been for weeks. Bonte says that Valuev doesn’t have a lot of options available to him.
Valuev has been out of the ring since November, and if he has to wait around for a fight against Haye, it would mean that Valuev would have to wait around until 2011 for that fight unless Valuev fought a tune-up bout with someone. As bad as Valuev looked in the Haye fight and in his fight before that against 47-year-old Evander Holyfield in December 2008, Valuev has to be really careful who he fights at this point in his career. He can’t afford to lose to anyone or else he’ll mess up a big payday against Haye or Klitschko.
You really can’t blame Valuev for not wanting to fight Vitali unless he can get the biggest payday possible, because it’s a fight that he probably won’t win and he’ll be throwing away a rematch with Haye. That’s a fight that Valuev would have a chance of winning if he can find a little power somewhere and figure out how to cut off the ring a little better. That’s probably the fight that Valuev will opt to take.
Tags: 18 Responses to “Klitschko team offering Valuev $1.5 million, not $2.5 million”
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vital flew out to russia and theres unconfirmed rumors that he went there to have a face to face meeting with valuev.I think a deal will be reached soon.
Im feeling sorry for valuev cause don king totally screwed him over and let the haye rematch clause expire on top of screwing up the 2.5 million offer last time.I guess king is thinking he’ll make alot more on the 2 options for haye fighting bums than on valuev fighting anyone.
vitali shouldnt get spiteful just because he has valuevs nuts in a vice.he should just give him the 2.5 or something close to it and get the deal done
Why would anyone pay any attention to anything Don King says?
I like what Vitali Klitschko had to see about him. He called King a shark and the reason he has that freaky hair style is to hide the horns growing out of his head. Poor Valuev, King has screwed over every fighter he has ever dealt with.
Thats a good days work for the giant.
And no it $2.5 your wrong what are your sources, you wont find anywhere that say $1.5
Don King says “Due to many incorrect representations in the past, I want to make it perfectly clear that K2 Promotions has offered Nikolai Valuev $2.5 million to face Vitali Klitschko, and on behalf of Team Valuev, we are accepting their offer.”
Mutchie,
If Valuev made 1.5 million against Vitali and that’s only 15% of the take, that would mean the purse would be in the neighborhood of 10 million, which it is nowhere close to. The true purse will most likely be in the range of 5-7 million meaning Valuev would be taking roughly about 25%, which is fair in my opinion given his value after being beaten by Chagaev and Haye and almost being beaten by an ancient Holifield. Just my two cents.
Valuev needs to just take the money and run. He will never see another title belt as long as the Klitschko’s and Haye hold them and I don’t see anything changing until Vitali retires in 2011. Niko will be far too old by then to compete.
Valuev is getting ripped off i mean 85/15 how the hell can that be fair i mean maybe 70/30 would be better seen as Valuev will probaly be going into the toughest fight of his life and after this he may OPT to Retire !!!
So true, Valuev should take the money while the taking is good. The “Beast from the East” has lost most of his value at the gate with most fans having written him off as too old and too slow. Mr. D. Haye revealed even a commonplace fighter like the Hayewire can now beat Value meaning Vitali will in effect put the big Russian in to precipitate retirement if the bout should take place.
Aaron, I’m afraid you must not be too boxing savy to make that post.
I think its Vitali thats being stupid going for this fight as good as Vitali is Valuev is to big I know Haye beat him but Haye is quick on his feet and even then Valuev nearly had him trapped I really cant see Vitali style being able to cope with Valuevs size advantage you look at Vitali he always uses his height to an advantage in this fight he cant and I dont think he will win he’l lose split decision
I dont know how many big paydays the giant has left in him.Yes Vitali will eat him up.probably stop him in or befor 9 or 10 rounds.
Valuev is lucky to see 1.5 and should have taken the 2.5 he was offered for the fight Sosnowski took. It’s all on him now. He should just take cash, go in and get clobbered and go home like a man. Then retire.
just clutchin at straws so ppl dont think haye is shying away from them…
In response to Jake:
Its like this….
World Title holder that can fill up stadiums full of people
vs
A nobody
So an 85/15 purse split seems fair to me… Imagine if you were the world champion fighting a fighter that nobody knows other than Eastern Europeans!
$1.5 million means 85/15 purse split for the fight. That’s how tricky the brothers are on the negotiation table.
valuev cud be tougher than ppl think vitali looks as if hes slowin down alot..or then again maybe his last fight he was just carryin the guy for a while cause he did look like he cud have fin him any time he wanted
Oh, I don’t like the sound of this. I like Valuev, but I don’t want to see the big man get hurt. He’s not in the same class as Vitali…
just give him the friggin money and make the fight already
He should take the Vitali fight because who knows when Haye will will step up. A fight with Vitali will be a better PPV than with Haye.