|
 McCline Takes On His Toughest Opponent Yet
By Michael J. Woods
(July 9, 2004) Photo © HoganPhotos.com
 Send this page to friend Give us your feedback
A $100,000 payday. Not considered chump change, right? You hear a fighter gets offered 100 grand for one night in the ring. You figure, hey, he’s arrived, he’s doing pretty well for himself.
But take a step beyond that initial reaction.
Factor in the Taxman.
Then deduct 35% worth of fees for the manager, trainer, cut man, sparring partners.
See how that $100,000 gets whittled down to a less grandiose sum? Only then can you begin to comprehend how Jameel McCline felt when he got a fax from Don King on Wednesday that offered him $100,000 to fight his friend Chris Byrd for Byrd’s IBF title belt on a date and venue to be determined.
So when you consider that the one night of fighting will be for a version of the heavyweight championship of the world, against a crafty customer who also happens to be a really, really good friend, you can comprehend why Jameel McCline didn’t do a jubilant jig when he got that fax.
"That’s one of the lowest sums offered for a title fight in recent history," McCline says. "I can’t imagine it going lower than that, since maybe the 50s or 60s, with the Bum of the Month Club."
The purse offer came from Don King, who has Byrd under contract and wants McCline to join his considerable stable as well. McCline has resisted King’s overtures to come aboard for over two years, he says, and instead, is aligned with promoter Cedric Kushner. But it is King, not Kushner, whose fighters own the IBF (Byrd), WBA (John Ruiz) and WBO (Lamon Brewster) belts, so it is King who holds maximum leverage in negotiating who gets a shot at a belt. McCline, after receiving what he perceives to be a paltry payday offer, is no fan of King, and his hardball negotiating tactics.
"I feel Don King is destroying the game of boxing," he says. "I feel he puts fighters in desperate situations, take it or leave it. He underestimated my desire to be heavyweight champion. To offer $100,000, he didn’t think I’d accept. Then he would have one of his fighters take on Byrd."
McCline’s last truly substantial payday came when he fought Wlad Klitschko on Dec. 7, 2002. He made $1.2 million for that bout. In his last outing, against Wayne Llewelyn on April 15, he made $20,000. So McCline’s not living high on the hog, polishing his fleet of Rolls Royces and sipping Champagne in his spare time.
"King knows I’m hurting," he says. "Luckily I’ve got a really smart wife who did the right thing and put aside some money."
The process leading to the $100,000 offer has stung McCline, and he’s no fan of the IBF’s handling of their end of the equation.
"The IBF said that Golota should fight Byrd, then he got hurt, so I get the chance and King says that I have to take the fight at that price and the IBF agrees, saying that if you don’t take the offer, we’ll go to the next guy," he says.
The bulk of his wrath, though, is aimed at King.
"Everyone is so afraid of Don King," he says. "The writers, the promoters, the TV people. I am afraid too. But I’ve been afraid before and stood up for myself. I’m standing up, until he destroys me or I win."
McCline chooses his words carefully, understanding that there will be ramifications for speaking from the pit of his gut.
"I know there will be problems, with rooms, flights, refs, judges, everything, but I have to do it. Everyone’s afraid of him. He’s the big guy. He has power. I’m standing up to him."
There is a wife and two kids to consider, so McCline isn’t speaking solely for his own interests. He’s building a nest egg for his family through combat, in a blood sport. The stakes are high every time he steps into the ring and fighting for a heavyweight title belt, he wants the purse to reflect the stakes.
"Historically, I’ve done very well with my back up against the wall," he says. "This is one of those times. If I lose, the powers that be will never allow me in again. If I don’t win this fight, I’m finished."
Maxboxing called Don King’s office, but were told that the promoter was traveling and unavailable to comment. Two messages left for an office spokesman were not returned at press time.
Send an E-mail to Michael J. Woods
Discuss this Topic - Go to the forums
|
