By Keith Terceira
Last night undefeated, top-ten ranked, Arkansas heavyweight J.D. Chapman (29-0, 26KOs) left his Florida residence and is driving back to his Mansfield home. According to sources close to Chapman, who've spoken several times to the young heavyweight in the last few days - Chapman is both furious and dejected over recent events surrounding his passing on the David Haye fight.
Chapman relayed that he never at any point agreed to terms to meet Haye because the offer was first proposed at a ridiculously low purse of $100.000. Later after refusing the first offer it was increased by $40,000.
Responding to the comments of Adam Booth, manager and trainer of Haye, who told UK media:
’He said: 'I'm not coming to England to get knocked out,” Booth said. “This after agreeing a substantial amount of money.”
Chapman maintains that was an outright lie, but does say he never agreed when signing his deal with Scott Hirsch to be sent to England as an opponent for short money after not fighting since February. He turned down the fight with Haye because of concerns having to do with his conditioning, training, and having to take a fight of this type on less than eight weeks notice.
Furthermore Chapman is totally disgusted with the changes that have taken place within his team and the addition of Mike Borao, who was not privy to the original promises & plans laid out by Scott Hirsch when Hirsch was Chapman’s manager. A long term plan suddenly became a rush to a promotional payday and any discussion about a mid-six-figure offer was never passed on to John David Chapman.
The original plan was to build Chapman and get the 25-year-old heavyweight prepared for a championship which would take time due to Chapman’s lack of an amateur career. At one point sources report that Chapman was offered a bout with Sam Peter for $600,000 that Hirsch turned down because it didn’t fit with that goal.
Hirsch later became Chapman’s promoter, and according to people close to Chapman - things changed with the relationship and communication.
In conversations with friends, Chapman revealed today that he had not even spoke to Scott Hirsch in the three months prior to being told by phone on Monday that;
“You are fighting David Haye for a hundred thousand dollars in November and had to be on a plane the following morning for a press conference in England.”
After being repeatedly pressured and warned of dire consequences that would make things tough for him should he turn down the offer, Chapman felt the need to return to Arkansas and at this point he has little interest in anything related to boxing and is considering all of his options regarding his career.
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