Premier McKeeva Bush has been in discussions with boxing promoter Don King to bring the Charles “Killa” Whittaker fight to Cayman.

As Whittaker manager Raul Alvarez sits down next week with King, the premier threw his weight behind the prospective bout against IBF junior middleweight champion Cornelius Bundrage.

“I have met Don King, and it’s a great stage, but they wanted a lot of money for it. We don’t have that kind of money to put up,” Mr Bush said, declining to name an amount, although fees as high as $1 million have been rumoured. “I would like to see something and if we can get some of the rights, we might be able to make it happen.”

Supporters point out that while a Cayman gate might be limited to several thousand, worldwide broadcast rights could generate millions, while rebroadcasts and subsequent title defences would yield even more.

“It’s exciting, and this could be the biggest sporting event ever in the Cayman Islands,” Mr Alvarez told iNews Cayman from his Miami offices on Friday.

“I’m discussing it with Don King. We’ll pick it up on Monday, but am trying to put together an offer that I can present to him.”

Then 154-pound Bundrage, with 34 fights, 30 wins, 18 by knock-out, said Alvarez, was “looking for a fight, and we are going to give it to him. He is promoted by King, and I’m going to sit down with the premier, find out what he might mean by ‘the rights’ and see what he desires.

“King is ready and we’ll see when he comes to the table,“ he said.

Whittaker IBF – is USBA world No. 2, while the No. 1 position remains vacant. “Whittaker is the next available guy,” said Alvaraez. “There is no one else. Bundrage has not fought in awhile now and has the belt, but I think Charles will beat him.

“Then, when Charles wins, he’ll defend his title in Cayman and that’s where the returns are. You get HBO, Showtime and [Fox Network’s]
Main Event.

“This would be huge,” he said, looking forward to Cayman Airways’ promotions, posters, press conferences and press releases in the airline’s Florida, New York and Washington, D.C, hubs, tourist packages including flights, hotels, restaurants and holiday activities.

“Everything about this fight is going to have ‘Cayman Islands’ attached to it. It would be worth millions,” Alvarez said.

He said the terms of an agreement was the remaining hurdle, but said “If everyone were happy with it, it could all be done within days.”

Whittaker won his last fight, his 38th win, in a 12-round unanimous decision on 18 November in Miami against Cuban Giorbis Barthelemy, clearing the way for the March bout.

“Charles was a little nervous in the first round, but then he settled in and won unaniomusly, and in the fighter’s home town” Alvarez said.

He and Whittaker, he said, “want to make history and have a world Champion from the Cayman Islands.”