Boxing

Calzaghe v Eastman: Promoter Mick Hennessy responds to the offer made by Frank Warren

24.04 - Promoter Mick Hennessy has responded with disdain to the offer made by Frank Warren to British, Commonwealth and European middleweight champion Howard Eastman to box WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe.

"I read Frank Warren's column in the 'News of the World' last Sunday with interest," began Hennessy. "In it he publicly stated that he was happy to give Howard Eastman the opportunity to fight Joe Calzaghe.

"I looked forward, then, to receiving Frank's formal proposition. I didn't have to wait long; it had been faxed to the Hennessy Sports office over the Easter weekend.

He continued: "It is, however, something of a let down. Frankly speaking, it is evident to me that he does not really wish to make this fight. The fax amounts to nothing more than a paper offer, designed to achieve nothing more than headlines.

"Firstly, the sum offered to Howard Eastman was derisory. Whilst it was the six-figure sum that Frank had told the journalist Steve Bunce he was prepared to pay, it was the smallest six-figure sum possible. That hardly amounts to a purse worthy of the biggest domestic fight since Eubank-Benn one in 1990.

"Secondly, in the fax Frank intimates that he is not sure whether Howard has a promotional contract with Hennessy Sports and goes on to demand that if the fight with Calzaghe does take place, that he gets promotional options on Howard.

"This is another example of Frank playing games - everyone in boxing knows that we have a long-term agreement with Howard. As a promoter himself he must know that we would not accept the terms he suggested.

"Thirdly, in his newspaper column, he proposed a date for the fight of May 24th, barely a month away. This is further proof that he is not serious. A fight of this scale deserves months, not weeks, of promotion.

"If Frank wants to talk about this all he has to do is call me, he knows how to get my number, but I do not think for a second that he is going to do that. That would be too straightforward.

"What I suggest then is that we both publicly come up with serious offers, without options and we agree to go with the highest one. That way we will know whose fault it is if this fight does not take place.

"If Frank's is the best deal I have no problem with that, even if it means Howard fighting on a Sports Network show on Sky and not on a Hennessy Sports show on the BBC. The politics of boxing and broadcasting should not get in the way of making massive showdowns in this country, it is only the fight fans who suffer.

"I am prepared to work towards a resolution where the broadcaster who does not get the live rights is compensated by getting the delayed rights. Is he prepared to do the same?

"I doubt it. He has already tried to prevent the possibility of the fight not taking place on Sky by telling Steve Bunce that it would take a seven-figure sum to get Joe Calzaghe on the BBC - does that mean that Joe would earn a million if the fight didn't take place on the BBC?

"Lets just put all our cards on the table and make this fight. Let us give the public what they really want to see, two genuine world-class talents going head to head.

"If Frank does make an offer I expect it to be high. With the Calzaghe-Joppy and Hatton-Witter contests falling through he needs a big show this year, especially with one featuring a talked about fighter like Howard Eastman - but I am confident that I can put an excellent package together.

"What's more, we wont demand the rematch clause he insisted on in his fax. It seems that I have more confidence in Howard than he does in Joe."

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