Fight costs Malawi’s Chilemba $10 000

Isaac ‘Golden Boy’ Chilemba, has for the first time hinted on his earnings, revealing that last week’s non-title eight-rounder against Rayco ‘War’ Saunders in America cost the Malawian $10 000 (K3.3 million).

Chilemba said he was supposed to earn $20 000 (K6.6 million) from the initial fight with a credible challenger Zsolt Erdei but the figure shrunk when the Hungarian withdrew due to broken ribs.

Updating The Nation on his trip to America for the light heavy weight fight at the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut, Chilemba said he parted with 50 percent of his pay after insisting on fighting lowly rated Saunders.

“I spent five weeks of training and it was very expensive. The fight cost me 50 percent of my purse as I paid my opponent $10 000,” Chilemba said in a telephone interview on Saturday.

The Malawian struggled to get a suitor in America after undefeated two-time champion Erdei, whose meeting was supposed to be on money-spinning HBO, withdrew from the bout due to broken ribs. HBO is the world’s biggest boxing broadcaster.

“The other option was for me to return to South Africa but I still wanted to fight even though HBO did not approave him. I have a name on HBO but not my opponent [Saunders]. After Zlot withdrew, the interest in the fight waned,” said the 24-year-old.

“The fights are not controlled by promoters but television companies, which hold the rights to the fight. I am close to world title fights. HBO is trying to make me a world title star and this earns millions.”

Chilemba’s record after this fourth straight win on American soil improved to (20-1-1 (9 KOs). He has lost once since 2005 when he turned professional having left Malawi as an amateur.

In an interview with American website www.boxingscene.com, Chilemba’s new trainer Buddy McGrirt said the Malawian was destined for greatness.

“Chilemba is a fantastic fighter and you can see that the talent is here. I do not really need to change much with Isaac’s style; he just needs to brush up on a couple of things. He is working hard and everything is coming together nicely,” the famed American is quoted as saying.