It's been a month since the return of boxing to the historic Nassau Stadium and up until now, all appeared to be well. The sport was back at the 'Mecca of Boxing' here in The Bahamas, the local boxers were enthused to be fighting at home and the fans were ecstatic to witness competitive boxing again.

Well, the boxers aren't happy. For the most part, they are complaining about "not being paid". Fighting at home for the first time in over a year, headliner Meacher 'Major Pain' Major stopped Cuban Alex Perez in the third round that night, but is livid, citing that the promoters haven't fulfilled their end of the contracts. The show, dubbed 'The Comeback', was staged by Charlie Major Jr. and C&M Promotions.

"I'm definitely not fighting with them anymore," he said. "That's my first and last show with them. I can't do business with them anymore. It's very disappointing for everybody. Boxing is a business - you just can't go in the ring and perform without being compensated. All of us signed contracts, and all of us have families. As boxers, we're still going to do all that we can to get boxing moving in the right direction here in The Bahamas, but these guys have to start fulfilling their contractual agreements."

Meanwhile, promoter Charlie Major Jr. remains adamant that anyone who was contracted will be compensated.

"We're negotiating that part of it as we speak," said Major Jr. "It's really amazing when you make a lot of sacrifices to revive something, people could only see the negative side of it. We're trying to meet obligations the best way that we can. Here it is, boxing has been dormant for two years and we're making an effort to revive it. I myself made a lot of personal financial sacrifices. It's just disheartening when you look at the effort one would have gone through to bring the sport back and there are some who are just looking at the negative aspect of it. Whoever was contracted will be paid. We're trying to move forward with this."

As for Bahamian Lightweight Champion Meacher Major, he said that it's rough when you have boxers doing all that they can to bring the sport back here in The Bahamas, but promoters are not living up to their end of the bargain.

"All of the fighters are frustrated and don't want to do anything with them anymore," said Major. "We're branching off. We already have something set up - Major Promotions and Entertainment. We're looking forward to sending our letter into the Bahamas Boxing Commission and hopefully getting something off the ground by November because these promoters out there aren't serious.

"In Ryan's case, they didn't want to pay the fighter who he was signed to fight. Those guys kept calling me like I was the promoter but I had nothing to do with that. I'm not the one who signed them up. Ryan's opponent didn't show up because they didn't want to pay him the money that he signed for. They didn't pay Ryan neither but it wasn't Ryan's fault that he didn't show up - the fighters were supposed to automatically get paid."

According to Charlie Major Jr., payment was actually settled with one of the protagonists yesterday, and in the case of Ryan McKenzie, he will be paid. The undefeated Ryan 'Big Youth' McKenzie was scheduled to fight Colombian Alex Lubo that night, but the fight never materialized. Originally, it was rumored that Lubo missed his flight into The Bahamas, but according to reports, the promoters decided to cut the money he was originally offered, and as a result, Lubo decided not to fight.

"They had decided to cut his money what he had signed for and he said he wasn't fighting for that - that's the reason why he didn't fight," said McKenzie, who also scorned at any interest in ever fighting for C&M Promotions again. "I didn't receive any compensation neither, basically for my time. I signed a contract and was supposed to get paid either which way, but they didn't give me a dollar. A few other fighters were complaining as well. If you're not coming professionally and doing what you're supposed to do as a promoter then it doesn't make sense me fighting for you.

"We didn't have boxing for a long time down here so we were looking forward to getting back in the ring. Hopefully I can get back in the ring before the year is out. I'm looking at doing a couple shows in the United States, but nothing here. Whatever I do, it's going to be strictly professional. I'm not fighting for any mediocre organization," he added.

Promoter Charlie Major Jr. said that it's the boxers right to choose who they wish to fight for or not, but he maintains that everyone who they made a commitment to will be settled. As for 29-year-old Meacher Major, who now fights in the super featherweight division, he has every intention of fighting for a British Commonwealth title in the not too distant future.

"Hopefully, early next year, I can get an elimination bout to fight for the British Commonwealth title here at home," he said. "With the help of the Bahamas Boxing Commission, I should be able to make that a reality," he added. Major sports a win/loss record of 19-4-1, (16 KOs), while McKenzie is still undefeated, at 9-0 (8 KOs)."With the help of the Bahamas Boxing Commission, I should be able to make that a reality," he added. Major sports a win/loss record of 19-4-1, (16 KOs), while McKenzie is still undefeated, at 9-0 (8 KOs).

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