BEATING A DEAD HORSE

By Michael Swann

CALIFORNIA SCHEMING

Today we return to a couple of recent columns on the basis of new information. First, we’ll add some information to the “Memo to the California Commission” story, regarding the alleged ethical wrongdoings and inappropriate behavior during the regime of Armando Garcia, the Executive Officer of the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

In the series published here on January 31 and February 1, we wrote that the CSAC had a hearing on February 5, 2008, and included on the agenda was a closed door hearing on the “Continuation of the evaluation of the executive officer.” Many good boxing people contributed information for the article and a copy of it was sent to each commission member.

From all appearances, Garcia came out unscathed, or at least, still employed.

I have received countless numbers of emails in support of our article, 100% in favor of our efforts to restore honesty and integrity to boxing in California. Further I was most appreciative of the support that we received from other websites, particularly Steve Kim of Max Boxing.com and John Chavez of Boxing Confidential.com. I can’t thank them enough.

Chavez actually attended the hearing and reported on the proceedings in great detail. He wrote that he even approached Garcia with an opportunity to rebut the allegations in my article. Garcia essentially blew him off, questioning my existence, and shrugged his shoulders.

Chavez wrote that during the public forum a gentleman “brought up the rumor that these people who came to speak in support of Mr. Garcia were carefully contacted via email in order to do so.”

Chavez estimated that “close to fourteen” people spoke on behalf of Garcia’s character and praised him for his accomplishments at the CSAC. Several of these “witnesses” characterized the internet as nothing more than a place in which anything can be written, regardless of the facts.

Well, these folks don’t know me but I have more than just facts to support everything that I have written. I have documents, emails, taped conversations, and eye witness testimony, all supported and verified. And yes, I do exist and I have no intentions of going away.

In fact, I have received copies of emails with a state service email address from the “A Team,” or the so called “Men in Black,” an estimated 15-20 special inspectors who have, so I am told, some type of law enforcement background. The “A Team” travels North and South throughout the state.

It was mentioned in the previous series that as many as 13 inspectors have been chosen to work fight cards, and then after doing a fight or two, watch the rest of the card while being paid $20 per hour. The point was that state funds are being mishandled during the Garcia administration, but you could also argue that the inspectors would suffer a monetary loss should Garcia be replaced by someone who was more tight fisted with taxpayer money.

The emails below, edited for profanity, and to remove email addresses might possibly be evidence to the “rumor” that some person or persons solicited support to speak out on behalf of Garcia.

"Dwayne Woodard" <dwayne

02/01/2008 09:48 PM
<HR>Please respond to
"Dwayne Woodard"

agree with Nate I will be in uniform of the A TEAM.

Woody

----- Original Message -----
From: "Nat Arnold"
To: "Dwayne Woodard"
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 4:23 PM
Subject: Re:

This is bullsh*t!!! I am going to do everything in my power to be there.
What happened to your innocent until proven guilty. I guess that only
applies to low life pieces of sh*t and not to persons with integrity. This
is outrageous and I hope the Commission has the sense to see through
bullsh*t. It would be nice to have everyone there especially if they were
dressed in black with red ties. An example needs to be made that we
support
Armando and for everything he has done for the sport.

Nate

>>> "Dwayne Woodard" > 2/1/2008 4:06 PM >>>
Ladies and gentlemen you need to read what is below. This is how organized
the few and the loud are and what obscene lengths they will go to in order
regain their power over boxing in California. Everything in these articles
are taken out of context and slanted and timed so he will not be able to
respond. If you believe in Armando and what he trying to do to bring
integrity back to California do what you can to be at the next commission
meeting in Sacramento. Time is short the meeting is next Tuesday 2/5/08.
Or
at least E-Mail or call the commissioners.
Dave and I will be in Sacramento.

Woody

Given that the date is when Part 2 of my series was published, my assumption is that Woody is referencing my articles as slanted and out of context on these emails sent out on state property. As a PI, he has the skills at his disposal to prove or disprove any and all allegations, and I hope he does.

A BIG, FAT, MESSY DIVORCE

About a month ago, we wrote a story called “Vindictive,” a look at Don King’s relationship with Juan Diaz, lightweight champion of the WBA,WBO, and IBF, along with his manager, Willie Savannah. At the same time I requested comment from the King camp which they declined to give.

Savannah, on the other hand, was quite verbose in making his argument which gave him a distinct advantage in expressing his point of view.

This week it was announced that respected attorney Fred Levin sent a letter to Savannah advising the manager that he would no longer represent Diaz, basically out of frustration with Savannah. Levin said that he told Savannah on several occasions that Don King would meet his obligations under the contract. Levin also noted that he had only spoken to Diaz personally on one occasion.

A spokesperson from Don King sent me this statement:

“Don King has been reticent to argue these business issues in the press. Juan Diaz’s purses, the opportunity to fight for two additional world titles and becoming a main event pay-TV fighter - all in just one year under the Don King Productions banner speak for themselves. Compare that to what Juan Diaz was fighting for during the similar time period before DKP’s representation, and the picture becomes more vivid.”

The Savannah concern about being stripped of two of his three belts because DKP would not pay the promoter’s sanctioning fees was said to be “up to the sanctioning organizations,” according to the spokesperson.

In fairness it should be pointed out that Diaz has benefited from his relationship with King. When Diaz came to DKP, he never made much more than $100,000 and he is scheduled to receive $750,000 to fight the March 8 IBF mandatory defense against Nate Campbell. (Savannah insists that this is still “short money.”)

King arranged for Juan to meet then WBO titlist Acelino Freitas in April, 2007, and negotiated step aside money for Michael Katsidis. King also signed then IBF belt holder Julio Diaz so that Juan could face him in a unification bout, and negotiated payment to Nate Campbell to step aside. (Savannah says that the Campbell money was a $50,000 signing bonus, not step aside money.)

You could say that King did his job outside the ring and Diaz did his inside the ring.

But it all went sour when King put the kibosh on a February Diaz fight with Katsidis, the WBO interim champion and #1 mandatory challenger, putting the WBO belt in jeopardy of being stripped. King was able to squelch the deal because of language in the contract that prohibited an “intervening fight” prior to the end of the Diaz contract with King on March 31.

King was overseas with the troops and did not participate in the purse bid, won by Golden Boy for $1.5 million, $1.2 million of which was to go to Juan, but the King contract prohibited Diaz from fighting with another promoter. Katsidis moved on and signed to fight Joel Casamayor and King set up a Diaz-Campbell match.

Then, according to Savannah, King refused to pay the promoter’s sanctioning fee to the WBA and WBO for the Campbell fight, placing the WBA belt in a precarious position.

Savannah says that King told him that, “If you ask me, I’ll get sanctioning from the WBA and WBO but you’ll have to pay the promoter’s sanctioning fee and your own.”

Savannah’s goal is to protect all three belts, and says that they will pay both fees. “I can’t see walking away from those belts because someone wants to see us stripped.”

So as of this week, Diaz is paying both his own and King’s sanctioning fees for three sanctioning bodies. That would be in the neighborhood of $75,000.

Levin says that Savannah is guilty of “falling in love with his fighter,” in itself not a bad thing, but Levin feels that his emotions are affecting his business decisions.

You would assume that the belts would be the key issue, but Savannah says, “The fact is if they [DKP] hadn’t kept coming to me for more options and on and on… All these things just weigh on your nerves. I just want to go to Cancun, do what we have to do, and get out of town.

“I see things as King will never give up. I’m not even sure this fight is going to happen. One thing we’re not going to do, and we’ll wait and see, is if King prohibits the WBA and WBO from participating. Then it’s going to be a real war. Why should we give up two belts for the sake of one belt?

“A lot of his fighters don’t get into it with King except for Zab Judah. He threatened to go down there and kill him to get out of his contract.”

Yes, some couples just shouldn’t be together. This one is obviously past the point of a resolution and the relationship is beyond repair. Hopefully Juan Diaz will go to Cancun to fight for all three belts and they’ll go their separate ways after March 31. All this secondary squabbling over a laundry list of issues just illustrates that their love was not built to last.