Salud offers record purse

Lawyer Rudy Salud offered yesterday a whopping $225,000 (P11.25 million) purse for World Boxing Council (WBC) superflyweight champion Masamori Tokuyama to stake his crown against No. 1 contender Gerry Peñalosa here in September.

In a letter to Japanese matchmaker Joe Koizumi, Salud said the offer was final.

"I am not being obstinate but simply and genuinely trying my best to implement our people’s yearning for a world championship (fight) here," wrote Salud. "I realize that ours is a poor country which simply cannot afford to engage continuously in a bidding or bargaining contest with a very prosperous country like Japan. Instead of pursuing our offers and counter-offers, I shall once and for all, put before you my best efforts to convince you to come to our country."

Salud’s offer – which he described as his "last-ditch attempt" – included eight round-trip airplane tickets plus hotel accommodations and inland transportation service. He also agreed to an option of $125,000 for Tokuyama in case Peñalosa wins.

Salud told The STAR that if Tokuyama’s manager Hideo Kanazawa refuses the offer, he is prepared to formalize a total bid of $300,000 – including Peñalosa’s $75,000 purse – before WBC President Jose Sulaiman in Mexico City to settle the issue.

"This is a gift to our people and it will involve a lot of sacrifice," said Salud. "Beyond the purses, I expect to spend about $60,000 more for officials and sanction fees. I will dig into my own pockets, for sure, and put out about P5 to P8 million. But this is a chance for our countrymen to see a Filipino become a world champion."

Salud admitted that in a purse bid, the odds are stacked against the challenger because since the champion’s share is 75 percent, Kanazawa could bloat his bid without actually committing to pay Tokuyama what is on paper.

Kanazawa previously offered Peñalosa a $55,000 purse to face Tokuyama in Tokyo on Sept. 20. The offer included four airplane tickets from Manila to Tokyo and back and an $80,000 option. Salud’s final offer was clearly superior.

But Kanazawa isn’t expected to give in easily.

Koizumi, in a letter earlier sent to Salud, said: "We understand your earnest wish to celebrate this title bout in your country but ... you will also understand that in the long boxing history in Japan, no Japanese world champion has fought abroad twice in succession. Mr. Kanazawa is also eager to promote it in Japan for the sake of his reputation and honor."

If the fight is held in Japan, Koizumi assured Salud of fair treatment. "Japan is the most fair and square country in terms of justice as seen in Peñalosa’s title-winning fight (against) Kawashima in Tokyo in 1997," said Koizumi. "We guarantee our warm and fair treatment ... as shown to Malcolm Tunacao and other Filipino boxers. Our crowd is cosmopolitan, not nationalistic, so Peñalosa will fight Tokuyama, as if he fights on his home turf or in some third country."

Salud said if Kanazawa is unable to top his offer, he will press the WBC to call for a purse bid in Mexico City as soon as possible.