WBO middleweight titlist, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin was given a second extension by the sanctioning body to sign the contract for a mandatory bout with challenger Matt Korobov.
The deadline for signing was supposed to be August 28, but an extension was requested (and granted) for September 3. However, Quillin promoter Golden Boy applied for yet another extension on behalf of the fighter and was again granted the request. According to the WBO, Quillin must sign by Thursday, September 4 at 4:00 pm Eastern Time or he will be stripped of the title. The sanctioning body will then order talks to begin for Korobov to face #2 ranked Billy Joe Saunders for the vacant belt.
Two different stories have emerged regarding the delay in signing. One is that Quillin’s wife has just given birth and that the fighter is busy with all that the arrival of a newborn entails. The other story is that plans are in motion for Quillin to vacate his title and face fellow Al Haymon fighter, Daniel Jacobs for Jacob’s newly-won WBA “regular” middleweight title. The delay, according to this story, involves finalizing all the details of Jacobs-Quillin before Quillin leaves behind his WBO belt.
If the second story is true, this represents a consolidation of Haymon forces via flat-out refusal to fight outside of familiar Golden Boy territory, despite newcomer Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports clearly winning the right to stage the bout after a mandated purse bid.
Back in mid-August, Roc Nation Sports announced their boxing arrival by destroying the competition in the Quillin-Korobov purse bid, offering just over $1.9 million and beating Golden Boy’s $1.2 million bid and Top Rank’s $515,000 bid. Under the conditions of the purse split, Quillin is due to earn just over $1.4 million (three times more than his previous largest career payout) while his Russian opponent will earn just over $475,000.
Korobov, who is promoted by Top Rank, has already signed the contract and is waiting on Quillin’s move.
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