You may or may not have been looking forward to watching veteran heavyweights Lucas Browne and Manuel Charr fight today in Dubai. Well, it ain’t happening. The fight – one that would have seen both former WBA “regular” heavyweight champs going at it – collapsed a couple of days before it was supposed to happen.
The promotional outfit that attempted to make the fight, Iconic Promotions Dubai, fronted by a guy named Andre Spencer, have not paid for either fighter’s hotel room in Dubai, while a number of fight safety regulation standards were not met prior to the bout Both Browne and Charr are understandably disgusted over not only the collapse of the fight but of being “left stranded” out in Dubai.
Charr seemed to be angrier than was Browne, as he made his feelings clear when speaking in a joint video appearance, as filmed by Boxing UK.
“I’m so sad what’s happened,” Charr began. What kind of promotion does this to us? We are all here, having flown from all over the world. We trained, we sparred, we are ready to fight. But what’s happened now – Andre Spencer f****d up. He didn’t make the fight happen, he lied to all of us, the fighters, the promoters, the managers. And now, I come to this hotel, and some of the fighters here are on the street because the hotel was not paid. We signed the contracts, everyone was ready.”
Both Charr and Browne, who have plenty of respect for each other, say they hope the fight can and will be rescheduled.
Prior to the arrival of the two fighters and the under card fighters, it was decided by The Middle East Professional Boxing Commission that numerous basic safety standards had not been met and they stepped in to remove their licensing of the card. The buck stops with Spencer and Iconic Promotions Dubai, though. As Charr explained.
Browne said this is the worst he has ever been treated during his entire career.
Meanwhile, a full investigation is underway into how this could have happened. Lou DiBella took to social media to give his take on the whole sorry mess.
“Many in boxing think the new holy grail of sites and big purse opportunities is in Dubai. Well, not for a bunch of fighters who just went there for a fight card that was an organised scam. They were basically left stranded in Dubai. No one protected them,” DiBella said.
Both Charr and Browne, along with the under card fighters, are left out of pocket, this after putting in plenty of work in the gym. What a sad run of events we have witnessed here.