[Roe]

Kalle Sauerland (Povetkin's promoter) tweeted: "No this is not a joke....a Russian Promoter just bid $23,000,000 for Povetkin v Klitschko #happydays"

Wooaaah!

Story from the Scene:

Article Link - http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=64745#ixzz2RJKVyucS

BoxingScene.com has been advised that Russian promoter Vladimir Hryunov set down a monster bid of $23,200,000 million dollars to overwhelm the competition at the WBA's mandatory heavyweight purse bid, securing the rights to the championship fight between Wladimir Klitschko (59-3, 50KOs) and Alexander Povetkin (25-0, 17KOs). K2 Promotions put in a bid of $7.1 million dollars and Sauerland Event bid 6.01 million.

Klitschko-Povetkin has to take place by the end of August. Both fighters have fights lined up in May. Wladimir faces Francesco Pianetta next Saturday in Germany, while Povetkin is going to make his own voluntary defense against Polish opponent Andrzej Wawrzyk on May 17 in Russia.

Over the last few years, there were two prior purse bids and both of them were won by Klitschko's company, K2. Hryunov is the longtime manager and adviser of Povetkin. Klitschko will receive 75% of the money as the "super champion" and Povetkin gets 25%. Hryunov listed Russia, Germany and Las Vegas as potential locations for the fight.

Hryunov is looking at a date of August 31, while Sauerland wanted to stage the fight on August 25th or September 15th, and K2 was looking at September 7 and September 14.

 

[Jay]

:yikes

 

[Chatty]

Crazy money

 

[Indigo Pab]

Holy purse bids, Batman!

 

[kingkodi]

Yowzers!

 

[nufc_jay]

Ouch

What's going to happen if (when) Waldo loses?

 

[tdw]

This feels like a Don King situation

 

[Roe]

This feels like a Don King situation

Nah I think this one is legit. This Russian guy is meant to be some kind of adviser/manager of Povetkin so there wouldn't really be much point in messing him around. It is a ridiculously huge bid though so I guess we'll have to see what happens next. Povetkin gotta get past Wawrzyzkzyzk first anyway..

 

[BoxingAnalyst]

He just wasted $16 mil.

 

[allenko1]

worth it to me. there needs to be some competitive interest for me. this would be it to me...

 

[BUMPY]

Povetkin absolutely sucks.

 

[nufc_jay]

So does Wlad in PPV terms

 

[Earl-Hickey]

Wtf, why?

 

[Boxed Ears]

Povetkin absolutely sucks.

Anti-Russitism. Iffy, ban Bumpy.

 

[Roe]

Some quotes from Klitschko manager Bernd Boente: - http://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/sport/story/204099.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

"We all were totally surprised," Klitschko manager Bernd Boente told ESPN.com. "We only have to make sure that the money goes into escrow and that it's real. We are definitely willing to go through with it, but we have to make sure this is not one of those fake Don King purse bids [where he has defaulted multiple times after high bids]."

"I think this fight will wind up in Moscow," Boente said.

"Right now the most important thing is that Wladimir wins his fight on May 4 against Pianeta," Boente said. "Wladimir got the news about the bid and he said, 'It's interesting, but to be honest I just take it as news. I am 100 per cent focused on Pianeta.' "

Hryunov was required to put down a 10 percent deposit with his bid - $2.3 million - as per WBA rules.

"If he doesn't go through with it, he loses the money," Boente said, noting that the $2.3 million would be split between the boxers and the sanctioning organisation.