Beljo responds to Pukija: You never called me for a match, let's box for the Institute in Pazarić

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Bosnian boxer Damir Beljo posted on his Facebook profile and offered Edin Puhalo, alias Iron Pukija, to do a match that would surely delight all boxing fans in our country.

"Look, all respect to Edin and his associates! I don't like lies, and Edin never called me to box with me, nor am I aware that he wanted a match with me. He once told me, in that sense, that if it came to that, it would be a good match. From everything presented that is happening after I said it was time for him to box with me, it is clear they are avoiding it. Today there are very high-quality boxers whom I consider better than some at the top, but they are at the beginnings of their careers, like for example in my category Babić and Filipi from Croatia, Bošnjak from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they don't yet have a sufficient number of matches, and people who already have a reputation are not interested in them, because they are excellent, but still insufficiently ranked. So, everyone would go straight to the final. Today I am the highest ranked (I didn't say the best out of respect for my fellow national team members), Puhalo is about 25 places behind me, but he has the WBO European belt. Now he says, contact the manager regarding the fee. Man, the opponent who boxed with you, you paid to box (which is normal, because he won't box for free), also when you took the belt (that's normal, especially if you are the host). And that man and everyone you have boxed with are far below me, and I am offering to box you without a single penny, and all proceeds from ticket sales should be donated by the organizer to charity (for example, the Institute for the Care of Mentally Disabled Children and Youth Pazarić)", wrote Beljo.

The "Bombarder" from the Neretva further emphasizes that if Puhalo wants to be world champion or box for a world title, he will never get a bigger opportunity.

"In case you beat me, who, thank God, is well ranked, you will profit. If you don't get an opportunity immediately, certainly at most one more match and you will box, although I honestly think you would get an opportunity immediately if you beat me. It is not my goal to offend anyone with anything, so not Puhalo either, and he knows that. If you are already saying you are the best, and I absolutely disagree with that, here I come to you without a single mark and let's box with heart and show heart both in the ring and outside it for those children and young people who have no conditions. As an amateur you lost to me in the first round in the final of the national championship, but OK. You were inexperienced, and anyone can lose, so let's forget that. Today, thank God, you have made a career and I have, thank God, so now it's time for us to box. I wish all the best to Edin and everyone, and I hope this will go towards an agreement and realization of the match. And, yes, for these people who lie out of their malice, I also have now a contract I received for a match against the excellent Usyk and I never said I would win, I only said that I would give my maximum as with anyone I box with. Of course I believe in myself, especially when I am ready and healthy, and precisely because of that I refused that great opportunity, because a car hit me and I couldn't prepare well, probably God saved me. But if I had gotten it, I would have gotten it, because I was WBO Europe champion and defended it twice, and was fourth place out of 15 challengers. Again, all thanks to God alone, because I believe everything good comes from Him, and what seems not good to me is probably the best for me", says Damir.

He adds that professional boxing is, unfortunately, more business than sport.