Briggs-Oquendo: Failed purse bids rescheduled

[Ruthless-RKO]

http://www.boxingtalk.com/pag/article.php?aid=31576

The WBA announced that on Monday, February 13th, a purse bid for the proposed WBA regular heavyweight championship fight between Shannon Briggs and Fres Oquendo took place, but not a single qualifying bid was submitted. The WBA has already sanctioned Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko's April fight for its super championship, but the sanctioning body apparently can't resist creating a secondary paper title. However, the WBA's $1 million minimum bid for heavyweight title fights was not met, so there will be a second purse bid on February 23rd.

At the WBA headquarters, located in Panama City, only Henry Rivalta, from The Heavyweight Factory, was present on behalf of Briggs. Rivalta submitted a bid of $400,000. However, according to the Rules of the World Boxing Association, in Appendix E, the minimum amount to participate in a heavyweight category bid is one million dollars. Therefore, Aurelio Fiengo, WBA Directory Member and director of the purse bid, adhering to the rules of the body, declared the process invalid. For this reason, the Championships Committee of the organization called for a second purse bid for February 23rd, 2017. It will be held at the offices of the WBA, located in Panama City, Panama. Thus, the parties involved in the process were notified.

The Championships Committee called Briggs and Oquendo to negotiate a fight on January 2nd. [You would think tey would agree to $200,000 each, but apparently they think the fight is worth more than that to someone]. The maximum term to reach the agreement was 30 days, and since they did not, the WBA called for purse bids.

[chunky]

Shameless by the WBA. It isn't even for the real WBA belt

[Ruthless-RKO]

Shameless by the WBA. It isn't even for the real WBA belt

Come on. I think both fighters would be happy with $200,000 a piece. WBA wanting to maximise sanctioning fees. They may aswell have a Interim WBA title fight too.

[chunky]

WBA wanting to maximise sanctioning fees.

It's a disgrace that they are stopping fights happening to line their own pockets. Scum.

[JCS]

It's pretty bad when nobody wants to pay the fighters... is there ANY interest from the fans?

[chunky]

It's pretty bad when nobody wants to pay the fighters... is there ANY interest from the fans?

But they do want to pay the fighters, just not what the WBA says they should be paid.

[Ruthless-RKO]

It's pretty bad when nobody wants to pay the fighters... is there ANY interest from the fans?

But they do want to pay the fighters, just not what the WBA says they should be paid.

Surely due to it being the 'regular title', the minimum bid should not be that high.

[world ranked]

The fight won't be made. If a promoter buy that fight there losing money easy. I expect the same result second time around.

[Perseus]

Oquendo may actually die from old age before the WBA gets him his court ordered title shot.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Do the WBA have a dads army world Title they are getting worst

[sweetviolenturge]

I think the WBA is crazy if they think that any promoter is going to bid a million dollars for a fight between a couple of geriatrics that haven't beaten a top ten opponent between the two of them in well over a bloody decade. Hell, Oquendo hasn't fought at all in close to three years. Disgraceful.
There must be a way for the 'BA to get around this minimum million dollar thing, cause if not, Briggs-Oquendo will never happen. Which is likely for the best anyhow.
The only way that I can see around it is if they allow Briggs to fight an opponent that will be able to garner the purse bid minimum & then the winner of that one giving Oquendo his ridiculous lawsuit mandated shot.
Maybe Luis Ortiz vs Briggs? Even that probably isn't worth near a million bucks though, but it's a hell of a lot better than Briggs-Oquendo.