Havoc Boxing Promotions is furious at matchmaker Hamir Gonzalez, believing him to be a “boxing poacher” for misrepresenting himself as the official agent for Colombian cruiserweight Santander Silgado (25-2, 20 KOs).
“Anybody who wants to talk about having Santander Silgado fight on a show must deal with Havoc Boxing Promotions,” Havoc Boxing Promotions president Rob Diaz explained. “Otherwise, they can forget about Silgado fighting because we have an exclusive promotional contact with him. Gonzalez was going around saying it has expired but that isn’t true. Our contract with him is valid into 2016.”
At substantial cost, Brooklyn-based Havoc Boxing Promotions developed Silgado from an unknown Columbian knockout artist into a world title contender. In 2012, Silgado lost his first fight as a professional to World Boxing Association (WBA) cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev in Russia.
Havoc Boxing Promotions successful thwarted Gonzalez’ attempted to match Silgado in a June 6 main event fight against Danie Venter in South Africa. The promoter of this event, Real Steel Promotions, was unaware that Havoc Boxing Promotions had an exclusive promotional agreement with Silgado.
Havoc Boxing Promotions learned that Gonzalez misrepresented himself to Real Steel Promotions as Silgado’s official agent. After receiving a cease and desist letter from Havoc Boxing Promotions, as well as a copy of the valid promotional contract it has with Silgado, Real Steel Promotions complied and pulled Silgado from its June 6 show.
Gonzalez, however, managed to an overweight and out-of-shape Silgado into a World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver championship match as a late replacement for an injured fighter this past weekend in Moscow against WBC No. 1 ranked Rakhim “The Machine” Chakhkiev (19-1, 14 KOs).
Chakhkiev easily won a 12-round unanimous decision (118-110, 117-111, 117-110) and seriously derailed Silgado’s career, costing him his WBC #10, WBA #13 and World Boxing Organization (WBO) #14 ratings.
“Gonzalez is a poacher,” Diaz continued. “He took my 25-1, world-rated fighter to Moscow and was the only person Silgado’s corner. We’re not alone. He’claims to represent five fighters who have American-based promoters. We didn’t know about this fight in time like the other one to kill it. We’ve invested a lot in Silgado, got him into one world title fight, and had him ranked in the top 15 of three organizations. He went 12 rounds, lost the fight and everything with it because all they cared about was a check. Silgago was 15 pounds overweight. His belly was over his trunks and he was a heavyweight in a cruiserweight fight. How does he bring my fighter all alone to Russia? He was the only one in his corner; he’s a matchmaker not a trainer. No team, no cut-man, nobody else.
“I’ve lost a lot of respect for Silgado, too. He did it for the money. I thought he had higher standards than that, to be alone in Moscow with a matchmaker in his corner and nobody else. He told the promoter we didn’t promote him. Silgado could have easily won this fight if he had been in fighting shape. He never should have taken this fight.”
Although a relatively small promotional company, Havoc Boxing Promotions LLC is making it clear to Gonzalez and any others misrepresenting Silgado that it intends to fully protect itself and its fighters, up to and including the filing of lawsuits for Torturous Interference.
“This poacher has damaged my investment,” Diaz concluded. “I want everyone in boxing to know that Havoc Boxing will do everything to protect its interests and fighters. We will not be pushed around by Gonzalez or anybody else and vow to protect ourselves at all costs.”
