Noted Cebuano boxing promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud, through his legal counsel Magnificus Ca?ete, has filed before Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Eric Buhain a formal letter of complaint against his estranged boxer Jimrex Jaca for breach of contract.
Salud earlier expressed great disappointment and deep sense of betrayal after learning that Jaca and his trainer Robert Bubuli, Jr. clandestinely slipped out of the country and without his consent signed up a three-fight contract with Golden Boy Promotions of revered boxing icon Oscar de la Hoya.
Salud cried foul on Jaca’s move considering that he still has an existing contract with Jaca that expires on 2009 yet.
“I was pained by what Jaca did because in essence, was instrumental in patiently steering his professional boxing career to where he is now. I was responsible for tranforming him into an obscure boxer to one of the hottest world champion prospects of the country today,” said Salud.
Recently, Salud was able to persuade Top Rank Inc. to bump off one fight just to accommodate Jaca in the undercard of “The Grand Finale” featuring the keenly-awaited rubbermatch of Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales on November 18 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
All is now lost for Salud after Jaca opted to honor Golden Boy’s contract for him to challenge WBO interim featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez for a hefty purse of US$50,000 on November 25 at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas. Jaca stands to receive only US$7,500 in Pacquiao-Morales III.
For making business transactions with Golden Boy without his blessings, Salud said Jaca has clearly committed a gross violation of their contract. With this, he requested the GAB to impose appropriate sanctions on Jaca.
“Under the scheming tactic employed by the people of Golden Boy Promotions and the matchmaker in whisking Jimrex Jaca to the United States of America to forced him and his trainer to violate his boxer-manager contract with out client, we therefore file this complaint against Jimrex Jaca for breach of contract since he grossly violated the terms thereof,” stated Ca?ete.
In reference to this, Salud has requested the GAB to make representation with the Texas Athletic (Boxing) Commission not to issue a boxing license for Jaca and if possible stop his scheduled fight against Marquez.
If the fight pushes through, Salud asks the GAB to make a representation with the Texas Athletic Commission to hold the purse of Jaca and release it only to him.
Salud also wants the GAB to immediately cancel the boxing license of Jaca for his willful violation of the Philippine laws.
“I hope the GAB would act properly on this matter at the soonest possible time. Jaca has committed a serious violation on our contract and I want him to be sanctioned in accordance with the GAB rules and regulations,” said Salud.
Buhain did not answer several phone calls made by The Freeman.
