Boxley Dissapointed by Sep. 18 Fight Cancellation
For Immediate Release

Coon Rapids, MN- Minnesota bantamweight Willshaun Boxley will have to wait a bit longer to make his national television debut. Boxley is very disappointed to inform fans that he has been moved off of the Sep. 18 Showbox card. Boxley says he was told he would be replaced by an opponent with more fights on his resume` for the undefeated Chris Avalos on Sep. 18.  Boxley was offered and turned down a bout with Olympian Gary Russell Jr. (4-0).
“This is like the eighth time in less than two years that a fighter has pulled out of a fight with me. Two times the fighter I was supposed to fight had a fight on the same date.  Both times I worked my ass off to fight and didn’t see a single dime and I’m fed up” said a frustrated Boxley.
The bout was highly anticipated by not only Boxley, but boxing fans in Minnesota as well. The bantamweight from Coon Rapids, MN notes that although frustrated, he will continue to work toward the future.
For more information contact Brett Mauren (publicist)-612-275-2885

Damn---that sucks--and i have a flight out of Santa Barbara on Saturday. Maybe I'll still go to give Avalos shit. Rico Ramos did the same exact thing. So even when you sign a contract to fight, it really doesnt mean anything? That sucks. Sorry Wil.

Dang will you are havin some bad luck yo! Thats too bad keep that chin up and take it out on the next sucka!

Don, I bet you know this as well as I do...most contracts are written to bind one party, not both.  Meaning that they probably designed the contract to lock Willshaun in without obligating themselves to do anything for him.

Thanks Fistic--I don't think I have ever seen a boxing contract, and that isn't much of a "contract" then. Companies try to do that to me all the time with convenience outs or 30 day outs, but I don't allow it, and if I did I would just raise the price drastically. Boxing is different though.

Binding one guy in is crap---so basically they can continue to shop in case someone better (read easier) comes along. I remember Ramos pulled something like he couldn't fight then fought someone anyway. Man boxing is pretty shitty. So if you are Wil, you sign a fight and then just hope nothing else better comes along?

What if the guy they find pulls out? Do they just move on from there? Why do I have a feeling we will see a guy in there with less experience than Wil?

I've never read a boxing contract either, but I know contracts from the business I'm in (transportation).  The contract issuer always tries to bind the other party without committing to anything on their part.  And from what I've seen, that tends to be the case in other businesses, too.

Maybe some industry professional can share an appropriately horrifying recollection at this point.

It's unfortunate what happened to Boxley, but that has been happening for 100 years.  Boxers have no recompense for fights that get cancelled or changed.  Promoters hate it when fighters complain that they still deserve to get paid because they spend weeks training for a fight.  Fighters fight.  They are supposed to always be in training.  Fights that fall through are unfortunately just a part of the game--especially this game, in which so many unforeseen circumstances such as injuries, changes in dates, venues, ect, and disputes with managers are ever present.  I didn't see Boxley's contract, but I am sure it isn't too different from the many I have seen over the years, that all state the promoter retains the right to withdraw the offer, ect.  There is always something in there along those lines.  I think it sucks that Willshaun had such a nice opportunity pulled from under him, but it's part of this game that will always be present.

Quote :

Fistic Mystic wrote : I've never read a boxing contract either, but I know contracts from the business I'm in (transportation).  The contract issuer always tries to bind the other party without committing to anything on their part.  And from what I've seen, that tends to be the case in other businesses, too. Maybe some industry professional can share an appropriately horrifying recollection at this point.

A contract, by definition is a binding agreement for two parties to in effect deliver on a promise. In the case of boxing contracts then, they really aren't contracts then by definition. In this case, Avalos' people are promising to fight Wil but reserve the right to withdraw at any time without cause or reason. I'd say that really isn't a contract then. Just like when people come to me and say they sign a multi-year contract with a 30 day out--i say, all you have is a 30 day contract then.

And actually, even if they did commit and breached on the contract, what is the recourse? Sue? It would probably cost more to sue than to actually realize the purse, wouldn't it? I was just thinking about that. Man, that's the shitty side of the biz.

Though it probably wouldn't have made a difference in Boxley's case, this is the new MN Boxing contract that went into effect  9-1-09.
I, personally, don't believe the promoter should be contractually responsible if a boxer doesn't make weight, etc. Many still pay the opponent something, though, as a matter of good will.

THIS AGREEMENT entered into this day of      , 2009, between     , promoter, (hereinafter referred to as “Promoter”) and             a professional combatant, (hereinafter referred to as “Combatant”), Minnesota and or Federal Identification Number .

Combatant hereby agrees to enter into a MMA or Boxing contest (hereinafter referred to as either “contest”, or “bout”) at located at , in the City of ,Minnesota on the day of   2009, for   rounds, to a Decision, Knock-out, TKO, Tap-out, Referee stoppage, etc. with , of the City of , and the State of , as his/her opponent, at a weight not to exceed pounds at the official weigh-in, as established by the Minnesota Combative Sports Commission (hereinafter referred to as (“Commission”) on a scale approved by the Commission. The Promoter agrees to pay, after said contest, and the Combatant agrees to accept as compensation, the sum of $                to show, and an additional amount of $ if said combatant wins, less all other expenses for travel $ , lodging $ , food $    , and applicable license fees $ for a total net fee amount of $¬¬ to be paid to said combatant.

If said Combatant fails to appear or make the above agreed upon weight, and the differential in weight terminates the bout, or if said Combatant is not in suitable physical conditioning resulting in his/her failure to pass the required physical examination as provided for by the Rules and Regulations regarding mixed martial arts, Boxing and the Commission, then under these circumstances, the Promoter shall pay to the other contestant, who is ready, willing and able to participate in this scheduled contest, as determined by the Commission, or his/her duly authorized manager, fifty percent (50%) of the agreed upon compensation, irrespective of whether he/she actually participates in a scheduled contest, unless otherwise directed or authorized by the Commission.  The offending combatant shall forfeit his/her entire purse, and may be subject to additional sanctions (financial, suspension, etc.) as may be determined by the Commission.

If the Promoter does not fulfill his obligations under this contract, other than breaches resulting from the failure on the part of either of the two combatants to appear, the Promoter shall then pay the Combatant, no less than fifty percent (50%) of the agreed upon compensation, unless the match is cancelled by mutual consent.

IT IS FURTHER AGREED that if said Combatant enters into another contest prior to the one herein contracted for and is defeated, or in any other way does anything calculated to lessen his/her present value as an attraction, the Promoter shall have the option to rescind and cancel this contract without further liability hereunder, provided such cancellation is approved by the Minnesota Combative Sports Commission

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the said parties hereto have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year first above written.



Printed Promoter’s Full Name Promoter’s Signature



Printed Combatant’s Full Name Combatant’s Signature



Printed Manager’s Full Name Manager’s Signature*

*Managers signing on behalf of boxers MUST have a boxer/manager contract on file with Commission PRIOR to signing.

National Sports Center - 1700 105th Avenue NE, Blaine, MN 55449 - Tel: 763-792-7354 - Fax: 763-717-3887

I don't agree at all with the Promoter being stuck with having to pay an opponent's part of a purse if the other guy does not make weight.  That's almost as backwards as those lunatics in government in certain states that think they can punish or fine a parent for the actions of their children, such as a minor consumption charge.  The way they used to do it, if they were worried about one guy not making weight, is force that fighter's manager to cough up a certain sum as a weight forfeiture clause.  If you make weight, you get the money back immediately.  If not, the money went to the Promoter, not the other fighter.  After all, it was the Promoter who is the real loser if one fighter fails to make weight, as he now as legions of angry fans to be accountable to as to why one of his fights didn't happen.  Sometimes it was written into the contract that the other fighter got the weight forfeiture clause money, but that had to be specially written into the contract.  I just don't see why a promoter should have to pay if a guy doesn't make weight, and I agree with 4th Street Gym on that.  

--Last edited by jakewegner on 2009-09-10 10:51:58 --

Thank you very much for posting that. I know there are a number of attorneys on the Commission, or at least there was at one time. Now, I am not an attorney, but have to play one often, and there seem to be a number of things in here that can be left to interpretation. For example..."or in any other way does anything calculated to lessen his/her present value as an attraction"

Man, you could make up anything there to support a case.

I also do not agree with Promoters being stuck with payment, but I am sure the fighters will have a different opinion! I thought it was pretty much handled the way Jake describes above.

This is how the boxing contracts work and also work against the fighters.  The matchmaker of the show will call the fighter, pitch the fight, the fighters team accepts, the matchmaker gets the numbers and plans together after talking with the promoter, etc., they put it all down on the contract, fax it to the fighter or the manager, they sign it and fax it back.  The only problem is, is that the promoter doesn't sign the contract normally til the day of weigh-ins.  So that is how a boxing contract works, yes its a legal binding contract betweeen two or more people, the only problem is, is that they fax the fighters a contract which has no signatures on it.  The fighters sign a contract with no signature on it, so thats how the promoters and matchmakers basically have fighters by the balls.  The only way to get around that, which doesn't happen is for a fighter to say, "fax back to me with the promoters signature after I sign the contract within 48 hrs or consider this contract void."  
So there you go, thats how they have fighters by the balls.  I just learned of this forum recently, but it seems pretty interesting with some good info, opinions, etc.

Interesting, so I guess the only thing that works against promoters in that case is that if they pull the rug out from the fighters, like they did here with Wilshaun, Wil and his people would be unlikely to deal with them in the future...IF we werent talking about GSP.

And, I'd be willing to venture that even if GSP counter-signed the contract, they could breach the contract without incident as it probably wouldnt make sense to pursue legal action as the cost would outstrip the purse.

A smaller outfit probably couldnt do that too many times without getting the bad reputation, but the bigger outfits seemingly do whatever they want without recourse. Someone correct me if that is incorrect. That's why I dont shed too many tears when Gary Shaw laments after a fight that Nonito Donaire was disloyal.

No...ALL promoters do that, big time promoters and small club promoters too.  As long as they have the fighters signature and manager if there is one, thats all they need.  They hold onto the signed contracts and sign them right before weigh-ins.  
Contract law is contract law, it doesn't matter, thats why promoters do the contracts like that.  They won't sign the contract and fax back to the fighter because that just isn't how it works or what they do, because if they do, they know they are bound by that contract.  Why do you think you hear of all these big time fights falling through but you never hear of the fighters being paid, even though there was a contract signed.  Its because the fighters signature was on it...and thats it, making it not a completed contract.  
Its b.s. and it really hurts the fighters who are counting on making that money. Imagine boxing being your only source of income and you're counting on making X amount of dollars on the date of Y.  You spend 8-10 weeks in training camp and it falls through...the fighter is left hanging with nothing so then has to scramble to find another fight because the bills don't stop comin in, causing him to take a fight that he probably shouldn't have taken.  Its not an easy life for a fighter with no financial backing and support, but thats the way of the game.

Actually most contracts have a clause that states that the contract isn't binding until both parties have executed their agreement.  So actually, the fighter would have to make sure that the promoter not only registered their contract with the commission, but their opponent's as well.  

Yes but they dont register it with the commission unti the commission asks for the contracts at the weigh-ins. Many times fighters dont even see the contract until at the weigh-ins (more so for last minute subs, etc, but still) Before the weigh-ins and the plannning phase of putting on a show, there must be so many rounds for the card otherwise the commission wont approve it, so the promoter gives them a tentative schedule of rounds, fights, etc...but no contracts.  Both fighters do not sign the same contract along with the promoter.  They each have a seperate contract, the contract is between the promoter and the fighter, not between the two fighters.  I mean yes, each fighters contract is stated who they will fight, but the each fighter has their own seperate contract.  don't know if I cleared that up or made it worse?