Sultan home empty-handed
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 08 Apr 2020
Jonas Sultan (C) with trainers Edmund Villamor (L) and Edito Villamor.
It’s been three weeks since Jonas Sultan returned home from South Africa where he was booked to battle Ricardo Malajika in a 10-round superflyweight fight at the Emperor’s Palace, Kempton Park, last March 21.
Sultan and trainer Edmund Villamor left Cebu to travel to Johannesburg via Singapore last March 14. When they arrived, Golden Gloves Promotions announced the fight was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Sultan and Villamor were told to leave the day after they flew in without getting paid 10 percent of the fighter’s $8,000 purse as stipulated in his contract if the bout is called off.
“Na-cancel ang laban ni Jonas sa South Africa,” said ALA Boxing head trainer Edito Villamor. “Umuwi sila, one day lang doon at pagdating, kinabukasan pinauwi. Hindi sila nabayaran.” GAB chairman Baham Mitra confirmed that Sultan was not paid a single cent. Sultan himself messaged Mitra saying he didn’t receive any amount, not even for training expenses.
“They weren’t given anything,” said Mitra who promised to get to the bottom of the issue because it’s clear in the contract submitted to GAB that if the fight is postponed, 10 percent of the purse will be given to Sultan. Under clause 5-D, the contract stated that “Should the promoter … postpone the tournament or the said contest upon reasonable grounds, he or she may do so, provided he or she pays the boxer 10 percent of the total amount agreed as the purse money between the promoter and boxer.”
The contract further mentioned that “in the event of the promoter being prevented from promoting the said contest by reason of an act of God or by the order of the South African Police or as a result of mechanical or technical failure at the venue which precluded the tournament from proceeding or by Boxing South Africa, then and in such event, the promoter shall not be obliged to pay the contracted sum to the boxer but shall pay the stipulated fee in clause 5-D.” Sultan should’ve been paid $800 or 10 percent of his purse of $8,000 by the promoter for the postponement. Mitra said he would e-mail the South African promoter for an explanation.
Edito Villamor said the 10 percent or the equivalent of about P40,000 should have been given. “Nag-follow-up si (matchmaker) Bebot Elorde sa promoter last week,” said Villamor. “Hanggang ngayon, wala pa raw nabigay. Follow-up niya ulit kahapon. Hintay namin sagot ng promoter.”
Lawyer Rodney Berman, 77, heads Golden Gloves Promotions which staged its first boxing card in 1977 and its first world title fight in 1982. The contract for the South Africa fight was signed by Sultan last Oct. 8 and submitted to GAB. The contract has the Boxing South Africa letterhead but no promoter’s signature. It also specified that Sultan’s fight was a non-title bout. In a Golden Gloves poster announcing the fight, it was billed as an IBF Intercontinental superflyweight championship match.
The fight would’ve been Sultan’s third in South Africa after he halted Makazole Tete in the second round in 2016 and bowed to Athenkosi Dumezweni on a 12-round decision for the vacant WBC Silver superflyweight crown last year. Sultan’s record is 16-5, with 10 KOs. Malajika boasts a 6-0 record, with 5 KOs, and it would’ve been his seventh straight outing at Emperor’s Palace.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Weigh-In Results: Fundora and Conwell Ready for Golden Boy Fight Night in Oceanside
Sat, 19 Apr 2025Undefeated, rising Canadian prospect Eric Basran wins in Opening round to advance to quarterfinals of inaugural Riyadh Season/WBC Boxing Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia
Sat, 19 Apr 2025WEIGHTS FROM LONG BEACH
Sat, 19 Apr 2025Weights From Washington, PA
Sat, 19 Apr 2025Jerald Into Advances in WBC Boxing Grand Prix with Dominant Win Over Ahmad Jones
Sat, 19 Apr 2025Press Conference Notes: Keyshawn Davis Set for Homecoming Title Defense against Edwin De Los Santos at Norfolk's Scope Arena
Sat, 19 Apr 2025JAKE PAUL vs JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR / ZURDO RAMIREZ vs YUNIEL DORTICOS JUNE 28 in ANAHEIM
Sat, 19 Apr 2025June 8: Junto Nakatani-Ryosuke Nishida Bantamweight Unification Showdown Headlines Tokyo Super Card Streaming LIVE on ESPN+
Sat, 19 Apr 2025Thursday’s Action at the 2025 USA Boxing International Open Concludes
Sat, 19 Apr 2025H2O Sylve Returns to the Ring April 26th At Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta Amado Vargas Is Co-Main Live On BLK PRIME
Sat, 19 Apr 2025FM Arca bounces back, defeats IM Laohawirapap of Thailand in 6th round
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 19 Apr 2025SMITH VS. GERMAIN WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER
Fri, 18 Apr 2025WBO #2 WBA #2 Mikiah Kreps on Weight in Seneca Niagara
Fri, 18 Apr 2025UFC® RETURNS TO PRUDENTIAL CENTER IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY WITH BLOCKBUSER CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER
Fri, 18 Apr 2025AMATEUR HEAVYWEIGHT SENSATION LEO ATANG SIGNS PROMOTIONAL DEAL WITH MATCHROOM BOXING
Fri, 18 Apr 2025