WIBA super featherweight defending champion Melissa Hernandez of Puerto Rico has offered Esther Phiri a crack at challenging her for the title sometime this year.
However, Esther’s camp has disclosed that they have an eye on fighting former WBC womens lightweight champion Jelena Mrdjenovich of Canada at a date and venue to be announced.
The 29-year-old Hernandez who fights out of Bronx, New York says she is willing to travel to Zambia to defend her crown against Esther, whom the WIBA ranks 9th in the World.
WIBA president Ryan Wissow said in a statement that he was ready to sanction the fight after the Puerto Rican said she was willing to come to Africa to face Esther.
“WIBA Super Featherweight World Champion Melissa Hernandez has agreed to defend her WIBA title in Zambia or Kenya against Esther Phiri,” Wissow said.
Wissow said Hernandez has demanded a US$6,500 purse money for the fight plus tickets for her ringside crew.
The WIBA president insisted that the deal should not involve the controversial Kenyan based boxing promoter Caleb Kuya.
“She (Hernandez) will fight for US$6,500 and two tickets, and she wants to be paid her purse the night of the fight before she makes her ring walk,” Wissow said.
“Lets get together and make this fight a reality. Esther deserves it, and Zambia deserves it as well. Lets make it happen.
“I also want my US$1,000 sanction fee on fight night before the ring walks. If Esther wins the title, they can pay me the remaining $650 belt fee after the fight.”
Wissow said he should also be given the mandate to choose three African-based judges for the fight.
“If these terms can be met, we can have this “genuine” WIBA World title fight,” he said.
Hernandez’s 12-professional fight record stands at 9 wins, three of them via knockouts, one defeat and two draws.
Meanwhile, Hernandez is set to fight Jeri Sitzes in a non-title fight in Las Vagas on May 9.
It seems the whole issue about Esther fighting a non boxer is a fake story, the issue at hand is the fight in Kenya was not authorised by the WIBA. Now the question to be asked is, what comprises this WIB,? Is it a one man entity or Is it a stable institution with international structures, Is the WIB a business or an association of female boxers. Why is the the “Owner “demanding money before the fight and a balance after. Why cant Zambian promoters send money to the WIB bank account or Is it that the WIBA and Its President are one and the same. Who is Caleb, Whats the connection between him and Zambian boxing agents
Watch out!
knock yourself out WIBA
To Fight an international fight for a mere $6500 seems very low and suspicious to me.
As No 1 says,this Associations appears to be a con??
Please ,Have some more, understand that Esther fought a non sanctioned Filipina boxer in Kenya. This boxer was not paid her purse money by the promoter of the fight. Second, there were false claims by the Kenyan promoter that the fight was sanctioned by WIBA. But WIBA never received any fight fees from the Kenyan briefcase promoter. Hence the strict purse conditions that Wissow is outlining. #4Makweti……There is no money in female boxing. Female boxers get their purse from gate takings. Its unlike popular male boxers who get millions from television revenue. Who do you think watches Esther on pay per view? Are Esther’s fights even shown on Zambian Television? And how much does ZNBC or MUVI TV pay for the broadcast rights?
Thats all they get paid for punching the life out of each other….and the defender follows the challenger
Esther should wait and see how hard Hernandez throws, limbi uyu umwanakashi alasukusa; thus watch her tapes from the vegas fight. Zambians in America in Vegas can actually record the fight and send it o Anthony Mwamba and his stable. Jelena Mrdjenovich the WBC opponent from Canada is a better option for now. We need the sources up north to do a study for our Esther. Generalzm you need to pick that up. I told you guys Esther was ranked high up on the womens list, ranked 9 th and 8th most popular female boxer in the world. My prayers for her and her future businesses and education.
Jelena Mrdjenovich no longer has the WBC title, she lost that title a few eeks ago to Olivia Gerula.
Gerula’s already scheduled to defend that title this summer in France against Myriam Chomaz.
if you want Esther to fight for a real title, in a REAL competitive fight, Meliisa Hernandez is ready and willing to defend her WIBA title in Africa.
RYAN WISSOW
edited
Belinda Laracuente just told me she never got paid her purse money when she fought Esther, which is why Melissa is demanding payment before she makes her ringwalk, which is understandable.
The fight was a gonga. Let us be careful before we sell our sister to these crooks.