(APR 22) This week WBAN was contacted by Nicole Woods, of Georgia, USA, in regards to a fight offer she received in Germany for May 30, 2009. Woods shared some "Behind the Scenes" to negotiating a potential fight out of the United States.

According to Woods, she was first contacted by email from Mario Guedes (trainer/manager of Jessica Balogun). Woods told WBAN that she received that first contact from Guedes on March 30, 2009 [supported by email], about a fight on September 5th or November 21st, against Jessica Balogun. In this same email Guedes also suggests a fight before the fight with Balogun. He tells her, the fight would not be against a "strong" girl, and a "sure victory for her", and that it would introduce Woods as the next opponent of Jessica Balogun in a title fight. Guedes indicates that she would come to Germany alone.

On March 31, 2009, she receives another email from Guedes. He gives her info about the venue that would be considered a "small' venue for the fight on May 30th. Guedes tells her again, that the first fight offers her a "sure victory" , and a promise for a second fight, a title fight against Balogun. He offers Woods a whopping $1500.00 that INCLUDES her paying out of that 1500.00, two airline tickets from the USA to Germany. The cost for the tickets were close to $1,000. Woods would walk away with about $500 for a six-round bout! He reassures Woods that the title fight would be for more money. Guedes ends the email saying that Germany is also in "crisis" due to US Bankers.

Woods responds to Guedes in an email saying the following: " Mario, that would be a good idea for me to come against a different opponent first. It would help ticket sales. We did that when I went to Uruguay and sold out the fight 7000 people. I do not feel comfortable coming without my trainer but I would take less in pay for him to come with me as long as it is supposed to be a victory. I will fight a 6 rounder for 1200 dollars as long as I can have 2 tickets to bring my trainer.

(Apparently Woods did not understand that Guedes was offering her only about $500 to fight, because she would have to buy the two airline tickets with the $1500.)

On April 1, 2009, Woods receives an email from Guedes, where he is suggesting three women boxers who he feels is an easy win for her. He sends in links from BoxRec.com of these three apparent "easy" opponents. [WBAN will spare the embarrassment of those women boxers he listed and his comments about those boxers].

On April 3, 2009, Guedes contacts Woods. He tells her that he will pay the $1200 for the purse and get an airline ticket for her. He tells her that it would be better for her to "come alone". He reassures her that she will "Win this fight for sure". He tells her that it is his "big" interest that she win, due to the fact that he has a title defense set up for Jessica Balogun (his boxer) after May 30. Guedes asks Woods, "You need every money, or not? I give you 1200 USD including one ticket for you--if you come alone---so you have more money for you!"

In another correspondence this date, Woods writes to Guedes:

"Mario, with all due respect. It is okay for men to travel to different countries by themselves but it is not okay for woman to do the same thing. It is not about trusting you and knowing you. It is about my safety first. I have been to Germany before by myself and it was not a good experience for me at all, and I will never do it again. The question is how can we still make this work. I am suggesting 2 things either you can give me your credit card number and I can buy the tickets from here which are cheaper. Or I will fight a 6 rounder for 800 dollars and 2 plane tickets. It should all equal out to the same thing. I am not sure how the computer system runs out your way but if you go to priceline.com that is where I found the cheapest tickets. I really want to make this fight and its not about the money. Its about making sure that I am safe. I don't believe that you would send your daughter, niece or Jessica [Balogun] for that matter to a country where they do not speak the language with people that they do not know and feel absolutely confident and safe. I am also sure that their families would not feel comfortable. Hopefully we can still make the fight, like I said I will give up some money on my part to make sure I am safe. Thanks' Nicole"

After Woods wrote this, Guedes asked Woods for the link to the priceline site to look up the airline tickets. He expressed understanding that she did not want to come alone.

On April 4, 2009 from Guedes, he then asks Woods if "his partner" can call her by phone. She agrees to do that. Woods is called by Ahmed Dohmen. According to her statement about this phone call, Woods told WBAN the following, " I spoke to his partner Ahmed Dohmen and he tried to convince me that I should come by myself. Then he told me that I wanted too much money which in fact I was only getting 500.00 dollars. The second fight which is a 10 round bout---he wanted to give me less than 1500 dollars and he said that I wanted to get rich. Since when was 1500 dollars "rich"  I don't know."

On April 6, 2009, Woods tells Guedes in an email that she wants $4,000 and two airline tickets to fight Jessica Balogun 10 rounds, for a title, in the September or November date.

On April 7, 2009, Guedes writes to Woods, and he asks her what is wrong with her. He talks about what he is doing for her with the first easy win, and that she is asking more than what the next opponent of Jessica get less than 50% of the money that Woods wants. He asks Woods, "Could it be you don't know what's going on in the world? The whole world has financial problems, no work, etc. That's because of the crimes of the US bankers! If you do not come down to earth, I don't negotiate again with you. I'm sorry, but I'm too busy for such jokes!"

Woods told WBAN that she then did not hear from Guedes for about a week, when after she noticed on BoxRec that the opponent had fallen out, that she was re-contacted about the above mentioned fights.

On April 20, 2009, Guedes sends yet another email to Woods, baffling Woods with what he had to say.

"Nicole, look, I asked you if you'll buy the tickets for you and your trainer, but you don't trust me, so you don't buy them. Then we've make a purse for 1500USD including the tickets for a sure win, then you wanted 1700USD. You're changing all that we spoke before. I must pay for a girl who fight against you, this fight brings me nothing, is only good for you, so you have a win and fights twice! You're wrong. There are some girls who would come alone to Germany for the first fight! I heard about that's difficult to get fights for girls in the US, but you don't want to fight here, or you want much money, so you don't fight anymore! I don't asked you to come alone for the title fight only for the bout where you win! Now I planned in other ways. I believe that at the end of this year much things change, coz of the situation in the world, then the promoters pay less money then now! If you don't change your thinking you're to late to get some money, take your chance now! Jessica is 20 years old, we've very much time, you don't! I tell you now, if you're willing to fight here in Germany then ok, but only to my conditions! Would you're interested to come for sparring?"

Woods responds to Guedes over this email:

" In all honesty, I am trying to be as professional as possible, but some of the remarks you are making to me do not sit well with me. Yes I am thinking of the money side and if you were not we would not still be having this conversation. I would like the opportunity but by no means am I desperate for a fight that I would risk my own safety for it. That's not going to happen. I do not care how many names you throw at me. At this point I don't even know what the deal was supposed to be. Either way this is a business. I do not believe that you will get any logical female from the US to agree to the terms that you are asking. I am trying my best to work this out with you but you do not want to negotiate. I am not coming without my coach. I don't care whether it is a guaranteed win or not and frankly I believe that you should stop asking women to come to Germany by themselves. It is not very professional. If you want to try negotiating again we can but I do not want to waste my time or yours if not good luck on your search. Thanks, Nicole Woods"

Woods then writes to WBAN with the following: "I don't know why I am getting the feeling that he is trying to strong arm me but something is not right about this. You would think that I was making some real money for this fight. He is talking about 1500 including the plane tickets. So the cheapest I found the tickets for was 500 dollars. So that would mean that I would only make 500 dollars for a 6 round fight. So I asked for 1700 dollars to at least compensate me at a little over 100 dollars a round. Then insult to injury he asked me to come for sparring enlighten me. Am I over reacting?"

Our answer to her question: No, No.....Woods, WBAN does not think you are over-reacting....

Source/NIcole Woods - excerpts from emails