Frank Martin Tells His Side on Why The Stevenson Fight Collapsed
Top lightweight contender Frank “The Ghost” Martin (18-0, 12KO) has finally shed light on the circumstances surrounding the failed attempt to fight two-division champion Shakur “Fearless” Stevenson (20-0, 10KO). The Ghost clarified that the primary reason the fight didn’t materialize was due to a disagreement over the purse.
The boxing community was initially thrilled when Martin and Stevenson agreed to step into the ring together. However, fans were left disappointed when it was revealed that The Ghost had declined the fight. Stevenson wasted no time in informing the public that Martin had insisted on a 50/50 split. The undefeated contender refuted that assertion on social media.
IT ALL BOILED DOWN TO MONEY!
During an interview with Queens Of The Ring Boxing Talk, Martin provided an in-depth explanation of why the financial terms didn’t align with his expectations.
“On my end, verbally, I agreed . . . I agreed to it. You know, I’m like, ‘it’s a green light’ . . . so after that, you know me agreeing to it, I never knew what the money was, I didn’t know none of that. So what happened was once everything came about, I figured out what that money was, and I wasn’t cool with it. I wanted more. So, that’s why the fight didn’t fall through.”
“At the end of the day, what I asking for, it wasn’t nothing that was outrageous . . . they could have gave me what I asked for . . . the fight could have happened, it’s all about the money.”
The primary reason why many fights fail to materialize ultimately boils down to financial negotiations. Fighters seek fair compensation for the significant risks they undertake.
After accounting for taxes, promoter fees, trainer costs, advisor fees, manager shares, and sanctioning fees, the fighter’s actual earnings are often considerably less than the initially agreed-upon purse.
