CANTADA PROTESTS GAB FEE INCREASES, CANCELS FISTORAMA
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 19 Oct 2006
Edgardo "Boy" Cantada, promoter and TV producer of the weekly boxing show "Fistorama" over RPN 9 and telecast worldwide on the Filipino channel has strongly protested the "arbitrary increase" of ring officials compensation by the GAB and as a result has decided to cancel the pro boxing show and shift his efforts to amateur boxing.
In a strongly worded letter to GAB Chairman Eric Buhain provided a rundown of the increased fees which he charged were "excessive and a disproportionate increase" particularly in the case of referees and judges.
Cantada said that in his September 17 fight card he was charged a total of P31,800 compared to a previous promotion on April 23 where he was charged only P9,480. He said referees compensation in non-championship bouts was increased to P800 per bout regardless of whether it was a four rounder or a ten rounder while in his previous promotion he was charged P160 for a four rounder and P400 for a ten rounder.
Cantada claimed that he was made to pay P1,200 for the three judges per bout with no difference between a four rounder and a ten rounder and was charged P10,800 for the nine bouts on the September card whereas in previous promotions he was charged a flat rate of P2,000 for the full card. He said the ring announcer’s fee was increased from P1,500 to P2,000 and the time-keepers fees were increased from P750 to P1,500.
The well-known sportsman and brother of the late Joe Cantada, an icon among TV sportscasters and ring announcer for the famed "Thrilla in Manila" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier on October 1, 1975, said he was charged P6,000 for two ring physicians compared to the previous rate of P2,000.
Cantada said "what shocked me was the absence of any consultation regarding this very serious matter or, at the very least, an earlier notice to this effect" adding that the charges were presented to him at the boxing event itself. Cantada said he could have agreed to a reasonable rate of increase in compensation but instead has decided "to leave professional boxing altogether."
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