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WBA orders second purse bid for Culcay-Andrade

Fighters Network
03
Nov

The WBA ordered a second purse bid in hopes of finally resurrecting the stalled bout between 154-pound secondary titleholder Jack Culcay and Demetrius Andrade, according to Artie Pelullo, who handles Andrade.

The WBA handed down the ruling after promoters reached an impasse over contractual issues following Sauerland Event winning the first purse bid back in August with an offer of $425,144. The bout, scheduled for Saturday in Germany without American television, was later called off by Sauerland, which promotes Culcay.

“The WBA has ordered a second purse bid according to their rules,” Pelullo said on Thursday, talking from Corona, California, where his 2-0 prospect Ruben Villa is set to fight Friday. “And we’re going to go down this road. We’re committed for Demetrius Andrade to fight for the WBA title.”

Pelullo, who co-promotes Andrade with Joe DeGuardia, believes that Sauerland never wanted Culcay to fight Andrade, who already beat Culcay in the amateurs and would be heavily favored. “And that’s why the deal never got consummated on their part,” Pelullo told RingTV.com on Thursday. “I’m hoping the fight can be in the U.S., and I’m hoping to sit down and figure out something before the purse bid. If not, then we’ll go to a purse bid.”



In other words, the sides will go through the whole process of making the fight again. The situation wouldn’t be so noteworthy – a fight that can’t get made because of promotional issues – if it didn’t involve Andrade, a former U.S. Olympian and titleholder who is one of the top junior middleweights and hasn’t fought since June.

Sauerland blames Andrade’s camp for scuttling Saturday’s bout. The promoter accused Andrade (23-0, 16 knockouts) of missing several deadlines to sign a contract, causing German television to move off the date and the card to be canceled. Andrade’s team initially remained mum as Sauerland said Andrade was at fault for the bout falling apart but it’s now speaking out.

Pelullo and DeGuardia said the first contract that was prepared and sent by Sauerland on Sept. 1 for them to sign was totally unacceptable, filled with clauses that were untenable. For example, they said the 31-page contract included a penalty of $100,000 if Andrade didn’t show up for publicity appearances; there was also a clause that said Culcay could choose the gloves Andrade wears. RingTV.com obtained the contract to verify their claims.

Andrade refused to sign the contract, and the WBA ultimately intervened and drafted its own standard agreement for both sides to sign on Oct. 24, according to Pelullo and DeGuardia. Andrade signed his four-page agreement a day later, according to a copy obtained by RingTV.com. (Andrade could pick his own gloves in the WBA contract and there was no financial penalty involved with publicity appearances.) However, the promoters claim that Sauerland never executed its contract. Neither Sauerland nor the WBA responded to emails for comment.

“They never wanted to fight Andrade,” Pelullo says. “All of the tactics that they used was to stall signing for the fight to make sure they could get out of the fight.” Added DeGuardia: “It’s absurd that they even have the audacity to claim that we pulled out of this fight. It’s absurd.”

Sauerland has also alleged that Andrade was talking to the WBC and WBO about potential title shots while the first WBA contract for the fight was unsigned. Pelullo and DeGuardia said this also was false. “I haven’t talked to the WBC in two months,” Pelullo said. “It’s all baloney. And whatever I said at the WBO convention (last month in Puerto Rico), I said it to keep Demetrius high up in the rankings because I told them I want to fight for the title after we won the WBA title.”

Of course, that could only happen if the fight with Culcay happens, which so far has proved elusive.

Culcay is supposed to be defending what the WBA calls a “world” title but the RING doesn’t recognize it when there is a “super” champion. Erislandy Lara holds the “super” title.

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