Experienced boxing promoter Don King has been trying to finalize a fight with WBA super featherweight champion Alberto “El Explosivo” Machado for more than two months with his number two contender, Rafael Mensah.
According to King, Machado’s promoter Golden Boy Promotions don’t want to put the champion infront of Mensah.
“I’ve been dealing with Robert Diaz of Golden Boy Promotions and he seems to be a forthright person,” said King.
“Since the beginning of December they have been telling me we would have an agreement to fight on January 27th after they arranged a meeting with HBO’s Peter Nelson. It has been one story after another story.”
King continued: “I had the one call with Robert Diaz and he never called me back. We kept calling him. We were supposed to go in together to meet with Peter Nelson and they said we would have a 50-50 deal, and I’ve never heard from him. Mensah has been waiting three years for a title opportunity.
“My fighter was set to fight on Jan. 27, which is what we agreed upon. But I never heard back from anyone. They are playing the con game in trying to avoid this fight with Mensah. They are trying to get under the rules and not fight my future champion. The making of the Machado-Mensah fight has become convoluted and full of intrigue and machination. This whole thing has been mysterious. We are ready to fight!”
Mensah, who hails from Ghana, is 31-0 with 23 KOs.
The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee has already called the fight between Machado and Mensah to go to a purse bid on February 19. The minimum for this purse bid is 120 thousand dollars with 75% in favor of the champion, while the challenger will receive 25%.
Machado won his 130-pound world title in October 2017, when he beat Panamanian Jezreel Corrales by knockout in the eighth round. The Puerto Rican fighter has a record of 19 victories, does not know defeat and has won 16 fights by knockout.
Both parties were duly notified. The purse bid will take place on February 19 at the offices of the WBA located in Panama City.