By Srithar Visuasam: Victorian based Peter Maniatis has taken out this year’s Australian Boxing Promoter of the Year award at a function held in Melbourne last Sunday. The founder of Peter Maniatis Promotions has now won the coveted prize for the third time in the past four years and has solidified himself as the foremost boxing promoter in Australia..
In receiving the honour, Maniatis stated ‘it means I must be keeping people happy in order to win the award’. There were 6 nominees for the promoter of the year, which included runner up Murray Thomson of Fighters Factory and former IBF Super Featherweight Champion, Barry Michael.
Looking ahead to 2009, Peter is bringing former WBO Heavyweight Champion, Tommy ‘The Duke’ Morrison to Australia for a tour down under in April. Morrison, who defeated ring legend George Foreman in June 1993 via unanimous points decision to claim the world title, will come to Australia for a three week tour. He holds a 48-3-2 record with 42 knockouts and also starred in Rocky V alongside Sylvester Stallone.
Morrison had over a 10 year absence from the ring due to testing HIV positive by the Nevada Athletic Commission in 1996. After several negative tests in late 2006, Morrison was later cleared to fight and returned to the ring in 2007 and has fought twice since his comeback, the most recent in March this year in Leon, Mexico, winning by third round knockout against countryman Matt Weishaar.
Maniatis states that among his major priorities for next year is to ‘promote Tommy Morrison…get him cleared medically to fight and maybe challenge Solomon Haumono or John Hopoate.’ Haumono and Hopoate are two of Australia’s biggest names in heavyweight boxing, with Hopoate the current Australian champion.
During his stay in Australia, Morrison will present the Bob Rose Cup on April 3 before headlining a black tie dinner on April 17 at The Powerhouse in Albert Park, Melbourne. The event will feature plenty of Australian celebrities and boxing identities and will serve as a fundraiser for Morrison’s HIV-AIDS charity foundation – KO AIDS.
Tickets for the event are priced at $1,500 for a table of ten and can be booked by phoning +61 419154340.