-authority wants 50 per cent of purse for overseas-boxers as tax
The Caribbean Fury2 boxing card was up to press time last evening hanging in the balance with overseas-based Guyanese boxer Raul Frank threatening to pull out of the fight if taxation issues by the Guyana Revenue Authority were not rectified before the fight tonight.
Frank, speaking with Stabroek Sport last night after the weigh-in at the Princess Hotel, the venue for tonight’s card, claimed that the GRA was requesting 50 percent of his fight purse and he believes this is unacceptable.
Frank, who resides in the USA, revealed that he was offered US $1000 to fight ‘Deadly’ Denny Dalton (160 pounds) and he believes the tax is too high.
“I have to travel from America and I am already doing this (travelling to fight) at a loss. I have three trainers to pay and what about me, this is ridiculous? If this problem is not rectified by tomorrow morning I will not be fighting, an upset Frank fumed.
Frank, who tipped the scales at 161 pounds, also empathised with the plight of some of the other fighters who also felt that the amount the GRA was taking out was too much.
“Some of these other boxers are not fighting for any big purse and for that amount of money to come out is unacceptable,” he re-iterated while restating his position that if the situation is not fixed he will be pulling out.
Some of the other fighters that should be appearing on the eight-fight card also shared the same sentiments as Frank.
A source within the GRA last night confirmed that the GRA was within its right to levy such deductions but stated that it would also depend on the terms of the contract.
This publication has learnt that if a fighter should decide to pay his own taxes then that boxer will be required, by law, to pay the standard 33 1/3 tax to GRA.
On the other hand, if the promoter should undertake to pay the taxes for the boxers, the GRA takes into consideration the gains that the promoter may derive from the event and therefore the tax payment will be much higher. The source said it is also possible that the tax can go even higher, citing 60 per cent in that case.
The source also claimed that that all the contracts were not submitted to the GRA in a timely manner and therefore there was a last minute rush for any other avenue to be taken.
When Stabroek Sport initially spoke with promoter of the card, Carwyn Holland, he said that he was looking to get the president of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo, who he said is expected to be at the fight, to get a reduction or even a waiver on the taxes. Holland said then that he did not want to make too many pronouncements on what had transpired prior to the weigh-in but he is hopeful that things will be ironed out for tonight’s event.
Those comments also come on the heels of Holland calling on the government to fully support boxing in Guyana. Other efforts to get reach Holland on the terms of the contract were futile.
When Stabroek Sport spoke to a member of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) he said that the GBBC was in receipt of the fighters’ purse and therefore the fight can go on as planned. However, he revealed that seven of the fighters have waived their rights for the board to be responsible for their purses.
He said that there are clauses in the constitution of the GBBC where a boxer can say that he/she is responsible his/her purse. The source said also he is not against the GRA doing its job but he feels that the tax is too high for the boxers especially since the GBBC is trying to elevate the sport to a next level.
Meanwhile, at the weigh-in last night Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore and Breilor ‘Zulianito de Oro’ Teran, who will clash in the main event, weighed in at 122 and 123 pounds respectively.
Stabroek Sport spoke with heavyweight champion Mitchell Rogers who signalled his intention to continue his reign of the division and said his immediate task was to dispose of journeyman Leon ‘The Lion’ Gilkes, again. Gilkes was not present at the weigh-in.
Rogers, who weighed in at 220 pounds, will seek to do this tonight should the card come off. At a news conference on Thursday, Rogers, who has beaten Gilkes twice before, said he believes that Gilkes will be looking for revenge but was adamant that any opponent he would have defeated will always suffer defeat should their paths cross again.
“When I beat an opponent one time I don’t allow them to beat me again. I give them something different every time so they will always lose,” Rogers, who has lost only once in his seven fight professional career, indicated. His only loss of his professional career came in his debut fight against Kertson Manswell by a first round knockout in 2005.
Guyana’s first female world champion and current Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) and Global Boxing Union (GBU) heavyweight champion Gwendolyn ‘Stealth Bomber’ O’Neil, who tipped the scale at 196 pounds, said that she will make light work of her opponent Pamela London, who weighed in at 260 pounds last night. O’Neil, who currently resides in the USA, said that she is here “to beat up and then beat out.
“I am not here to waste time, I come to dance. I gon’ beat she up then beat out,” O’Neil quipped.
London, who won the World Boxing Council (WBC) international heavyweight title in 2008, in reply, said that despite receiving a late notice for the fight, she is prepared to beat O’Neil. Her argument was that she had fought better opponents than O’Neil and had been successful.
The 37-year-old London said she had to fast track her training and most of her training centred on gaining almost optimum fitness. She promised O’Neil that it will not be easy fight and therefore she should also come well prepared for “battle”.
London was in the ring last December when she lost to Natascha Ragosina for the vacant Women International Boxing Federation (WIBF) and vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) heavyweight titles. Since London made her professional debut in 2003 she has only fought 11 times, winning six of those fights, losing four and drawing one.
WIBA bantamweight champion Shondell Alfred, who tipped the scales at 115 pounds, last night at the weight-in told Stabroek Sport that she has only one expectation and that is to be victorious. Exuding confidence, she also indicated that she will “beat any fighter” that comes to her homeland; Alfred will be taking Olga ‘La Mona’ Julio, who had 112 at the weigh-in.
In other weigh-in results, Canadian Richard Riettie weighed in at 156 pounds and his opponent Mark Murray at 149. Joel Mc Rae weighed in at 168 pounds while James Walcott tipped the scale at 166 pounds; Clive Atwell and Errol Trotman weighed in at 129 pounds each.
