Arena Box, Universum battle over Felix Sturm
by SC on Oct 9, 2009 8:13 AM EDT
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Middleweight titleholder Felix Sturm has been offered $25 million to sign with Arena Box, the promotional company run by Ahmet Öner. Sturm last fought under the Universum banner, but is part of an attempted mass exodus from the company. Zsolt Erdei, like Sturm, is attempting to leave the company, and Sergiy Dzinziruk has already done so.
Sweetening the pot is Öner's connections with Top Rank in America, the promoter for reigning middleweight world champion Kelly Pavlik. Pavlik-Sturm was discussed earlier this year, with HBO "low-balling" the fight in an official offer.
Meanwhile, Mark Vester and Thomas Schlabe report that Universum feels they still have Sturm under contract until 2012, and they've warned TV networks and promotional companies to back away or face legal action.
Sturm (33-2-1, 14 KO) last fought in July, beating Khoren Gevor via a highly-debated decision in Nuerburg. The 30-year old has held some form of recognized world title at 160 pounds essentially since 2003, with brief hiccups coming in his very disputed loss to Oscar de la Hoya in 2004, and a TKO loss to Javier Castillejo in 2006. His slate of opponents has often been criticized, but he is a money machine in Germany and in a weak division, presents the top Americans with a better challenge and likely more money even in the States than most potential opponents do. Should Pavlik retain his championship on December 5 against Paul Williams, Pavlik-Sturm could be revisited.
Right now, though, it looks like Sturm is going to be caught in the middle of an ugly promotional war. Öner is one of boxing's shadier characters, with a long list of enemies and plenty of money, and Universum is even shadier when it comes to the promotional tactics they employ. I'm sure it'll shake out over the next six months or so, but I wouldn't expect to see Sturm back in the ring any time soon.
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Ahmet Oner is gangsta
Or is he just a gangster?
That’s a LOT Of money to be throwing around for Felix Sturm. I know he has a big following in Germany, but that’s basically an out of the park bid to try to establish Arena’s legitimacy as a top dog in Germany. There’s no way they could actually make that much money back off of him, unless having him means they can get a big German TV contract.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
by Brickhaus on Oct 9, 2009 8:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I’d have to guess they know there’s TV for them. I mean that’s just speculation but otherwise they’re bidding against themselves here. But if Sauerland wound up nabbing Sturm, they pretty much own Germany.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by SC on Oct 9, 2009 8:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
To put it in perspective
When GBP and Top Rank had their blow up over Manny Pacquiao a few years back, Pacquiao was only going to get $5 million. I guess another possibility is that Arena just has a business model where they pay the fighter everything up front, and then they get 100% of the purses. Then $25 million might make some sense, though I find it hard to believe that Sturm even has $25 million of his own earning potential in front of him.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
by Brickhaus on Oct 9, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
definitely a gangsta, there was an attempt at his life recently
by JohnUtah on Oct 9, 2009 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We need someone to change their name… something like Johnny Storm….
"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."
by Zocalo on Oct 9, 2009 8:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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