Sutan warns WBA about Chrisjon bout

Sutan warns WBA about Chrisjon bout

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The war of words between world featherweight champion Chrisjon
and his former trainer Sutan Rambing is intensifying, with the
latter warning the World Boxing Association against sanctioning a
scheduled fight of the boxer.

Sutan's Jan. 11 letter to the WBA, a copy of which was made
available to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, demands the boxing body
desist from authorizing any bout until the two parties have
resolved their contract dispute.

"Chrisjon as the boxer and myself as the manager have a valid
contract until 2007," he said in the letter, addressed to Renzo
Bagnariol, the WBA's World Championship committee chairman.

After retaining his title against Jose Rojas of Venezuela in a
Dec. 3 bout in Tenggarong, East Kalimantan, Chrisjon was required
to face Derrick Gainer of the United States in a mandatory
defense.

The WBA, according to Sutan, wants the fight to be held on
March 3, with the venue still to be decided. Gainer was to have
fought Chrisjon on Dec. 3, but withdrew after his demand for the
bout to be held indoors was rejected.

Chrisjohn resigned from Sutan's Bank Buana Semarang training
camp in late December, stating that he wished to become his own
manager and choose his own trainer.

With the two parties now in dispute, Sutan said any fight
could not go ahead.

"I will try to finish my matter with him (Chrisjon)," Sutan
wrote in English. "If we couldn't settle we will bring this
matter to court.

"I wish WBA (sic) will not issue any sanction for
featherweight mandatory title fight without my knowledge as
manager."

Sutan also sent an Indonesian-language version of the letter
to Tourino Tidar, the WBA representative in Indonesia. In the
letter, he threatened to sue any party which organized a Chrisjon
bout.

The boxer, who refused comment on the dispute last week, had
previously complained about his purse for the Rojas fight, which
he said was too small at Rp 400 million. Sutan rejected the
boxer's complaint and showed a bank transfer slip in the amount
of Rp 496,612,125, dated Dec. 13, 2004.

Sutan said the 50-50 split of the purse -- following
deductions for required payments to the WBA, its representative
in Asia and to the previous titleholder -- was standard for
national or world champions.