Cruiserweight Champ Arsen Goulamirian In The Midst Of Legal Dispute With Promoter Yohan Zaoui
Canal Plus’ exit from boxing has caused a world of mayhem for WBA Cruiserweight champion Arsen Goulamirian.
A French court is understood to have ruled on August 25 that Sebastien Acaries’ contract with Canal + for €450,000/world title fight-headlined show was invalid.
This decision forced Goulamirian’s September bout with Ireland’s Tommy McCarthy to be scrapped.
Acaries is the former promoter of Goulamirian and the Frenchman is now in a dispute with his current promoter, Yohan Zaoui.
Goulamirian and Zaoui signed a three-year contract on August 22, 2021. but the WBA champion argues that the deal has become invalid.
In a letter dated August 29, 2023, Goulamirian notified Zaoui and his company Y12 Boxing of the termination of their promotional contract due to breaches on the promoter’s side.
French newspaper L’Équipe is reporting that Goulamirian wishes for his contract with Zaoui to be terminated because the promoter is not aligned with a broadcaster, has only provided Goulamirian with one fight in two years and did not pay a €18,193 fee for Goulamirian’s training camp in Spain.
Although Zaoui argues that he is not obligated to cover the cost of Goulamirian’s accommodation for seven months, he has agreed to pay the training camp fee.
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Why Arsen Goulamirian vs Richard Riakporhe Didn’t Materialise
The Promoter also argues that Goulamirian’s other two claims are false and that he turned down fights with Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe – fights which would’ve been broadcast and fulfilled his contract.
Goulamirian allegedly turned down three separate dates to face England’s Riakporhe including September 30 in Marseille, France and two dates in the UK.
I reported on Twitter that Arsen Goulamirian claimed in a now-deleted interview last month to have signed a multi-fight deal with Ben Shalom’s BOXXER and to face Riakporhe.
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Yohan Zaoui told L’Équipe, “I’ll take legal action against anyone who makes him box without my agreement.”
It is understood that Riakporhe and Goulamirian were targeting a Nov 25 date in London until the WBA ordered the Frenchman to face his mandatory Yuniel Dorticos next.
The likely scenario now is that the undefeated British cruiserweight will pursue the WBO route which will see him face Chris Billam-Smith next year after the Bournemouth titleist defends his strap in December, likely against Poland’s Mateusz Masternak.