17.03.06 – When Fight Production’s Kenyan female featherweight Damaris Muthoni, 8-3-2 (4 KO’s), returned back to Germany on February 15 to supposedly prepare with Aachen’s Mario Guedes for her WBF ‘world’ title shot on April 8 – to be staged by Guedes’ P4P Boxpromotion – she joyfully thought of it as a return to her fistic home.. But instead of fullfilling her life-long dream, the 29-year-old from Nairobi soon discovered she had entered hell, “thanks to Guedes, who turned maniac when he found out his plot against me as Damaris’ manager wasn’t coming to fruitation”, as Fight Production’s Olaf Schroeder stated.
“I have never experienced such crazy actions from anyone in more than 20 years in boxing,” says Schroeder about the why Muthoni ultimately split from Guedes, was forced to flee from Aachen and saw her dream fight collaps.
Already by March 1, Muthoni had given up going to the gym for training with Guedes. “I knew he wanted to control me like a marionette and have it all by himself,” Muthoni explains, “I do appreciated his every single commitment thus far, but I truly hate self-centered characters. I’m glad having Olaf”. Muthoni declined to answer Guedes calls, feeling she has no matters to settle with him and that Guedes should talk to her manager. Things went from bad to worse after Schroeder informed Guedes on the same day that Muthoni will no longer be trained by him and no longer is interested to appear on his promotion, because it didn’t stop the trainer from chasing Muthoni down and lowering her dignity with his comments.
Guedes wanted Muthoni to see his lawyer and terminate the contract with Fight Production, but the boxer insisted that she is able to pick her own lawyer, if she feels it necessary. Not satisfied with that, Guedes picked up Muthoni on March 2 and with the help of what Muthoni describes as “two strange men” forced her to go with him to his lawyer, a certain Herbert Hoenig. “Damaris told me that he was upset that she trusted me and threatened to call the police to get her deported back to Kenya, underlining how well-known he is in Aachen and actually proclaiming to her ‘I’m the king of Aachen!’,” says Schroeder, shaking his head. Without understanding the German discussion between Guedes and his advocate, Muthoni was forced to sign papers allowing Hoenig to represent her. According to Muthoni, that filled Guedes – who by that time had already discredited himself to no ends – with joy and she quotes him as saying “It’s over now, your future is very much brighter with me, forget Olaf, he is an idiot and too little for me. He can’t win against me only if you are in love with him!”.
All the while, Schroeder tried to reach his boxer on her cell phone, not knowing she was forced to switch it off. “By that time, I started to really worry for Damaris’ well being, what with Guedes maniac actions thus far and actually called the police in Aachen,” says the manager. He finally reached his boxer, after Muthoni’s first action on being out of Guedes clutches was to switch her phone back on. It was decided Damaris packs her bags on the spot and leave immediatly to a place far from Aachen, way out of Guedes’ reach. Later that night, Guedes’ lawyer Hoenig faxed Schroeder a termination of his management contract with Muthoni, claiming to act on Muthoni’s behalf. The next morning, Friday, March 3, a completely stressed Muthoni went to a lawyer of her choice, and explained the events that took place, because she felt her life was in danger in Aachen. Dr. Helmut Reitz, Muthoni’s lawyer, called manager Schroeder and it was mutually decided for Muthoni to permanently move to a secret spot away from Aachen for the time being. Dr. Reitz also informed Guedes’ lawyer that he no longer has the right to speak on behalf of Muthoni. “Guedes has caused great damages in my career and lowered my dignity,” Damaris finishes off sadly.
By the evening of March 3, Guedes kept himself busy, threating the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) in Australia, who was to have sanctioned the planned ‘world’ title fight, with a lawsuit, as well as their intended supervisor.
Manager Olaf Schroeder concluded: “Our lawyers are working on that case now and certainly we will press charges against Guedes for deprivation of liberty and coercion and see if Damaris is possibly entitled to compensatory damages. Judging by what happened so far, he seems capable of anything. Knowing all the little details, which we choose not to make public, I still can’t believe what a low-level being Guedes is.”
Muthoni has now taken off of her training for the time being, but will soon map out a plan with Fight Production to get her career moving forwards again.