DARREN BARKER’S team have turned down a big offer for him to meet British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Martin Murray.
Hatton Promotions, who want to stage the double title showdown in the spring were shocked when Barker’s promoter Eddie Hearn turned down the high purse.
It shows Ricky Hatton’s commitment to making fights that work for British boxing and willingness to work with rival promoters.
Hatton Promotions CEO, Ricky said: “I am not privy to what Darren earned when he fought Sergio Martinez last year, but I think our offer may have topped it or at worse been very close.
“Put it this way, it was a huge amount for somebody challenging for British and Commonwealth championship crowns.
“Eddie Hearn initially made an offer for Matchroom Boxing to stage the fight, which we bettered by a considerable amount.
“Eddie responded and only matched what we put on the table which was strange and added it was his final offer, but we again countered and bettered it by a fair amount.
“Eddie got back to my Director of Boxing, Richard Poxon on Tuesday night refusing and said he ‘thinks’ that he has got Darren a world title fight in May.
“If Darren has got a world title fight for the sort of money Hatton Promotions are offering fair play to him, but this is a concrete offer and not a contest his promoter can ‘think’ will happen.
“I am sure Darren isn’t running scared and would be tempted by our offer, but I cannot say the same about others in his team, although I hope Eddie proves me wrong on that.
“I will work with any promoter for the good of my fighters and I am sure Sky Sports would love their viewers to watch a fight between Martin and Darren.”
Hatton is still hoping that Barker and his team come back to the table, but is now beginning to explore other avenues.
Murray would also accept against World Boxing Association (WBA) Super world middleweight champion Felix Sturm who controversially outpointed him last month.
Hatton added: “One thing for sure, is that Martin will be involved in big fights in 2012 whether Barker wants to know or not.”
ESPN’s Friday Night Fights: Provodnikov vs. Torres, Kim vs. Amidu on 1/27
Atlas Predicts Provodnikov to Win by Knockout
ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will feature two top contenders — junior-welterweight Ruslan Provodnikov (20-1, 13 KOs) and former lightweight world-title-challenger Ji-Hoon “Volcano” Kim (22-7,18 KOs) — in co-main events on January 27 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN3 from Airway Heights, Wash.
On ESPN2, Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside at the Northern Quest Casino describing the action, while studio host Bernardo Osuna will present all the latest boxing news and highlights. ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights) will present Friday’s card with Pablo Viruega and Delvin Rodriguez calling the fights and Leopoldo Gonzalez and Lindsay Casinelli anchoring the studio. The card is presented by Banner Promotions.
Description: Description: C:Usersmcdonas1AppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.OutlookMA28FIWDFNF Remote Preview (2).jpgRussia’s Provodnikov, who is coming off a 12-round decision over former WBO junior-welterweight champion Demarcus Corley, will face hometown favorite David “El Torito” Torres (21-2-2,13 KOs).
Atlas: “Provodnikov is a good body puncher, strong guy, pleasing to the eye and makes good fights. I like him to win this fight by knockout.”
Friday’s co-feature will pit South Korea’s Kim against Yakubu “The Black Mamba” Amidu (17-2-1,15 KOs). Kim is coming off a 10-round decision over Dong-Hyuk Kim, while Los Angeles’ Amidu is coming off a third-round TKO over Martin Tucker.
Atlas: “Ji-Hoon Kim will probably have to come back in this fight. He gets caught early, but has a huge heart. When he does win, he finds a way to come back. He puts himself in difficult positions, but puts us in a good position because we are watching some interesting fights.”
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Decision with regards to the Los Angeles Matadors vs. Dynamo Moscow match
Lausanne, Switzerland, 25 January 2012 – The World Series of Boxing Appeal Panel has decided to overturn the result of two bouts in December’s L.A. Matadors vs. Dynamo Moscow match. Consequently, the overall result of the match is a 3:2 win for Dynamo Moscow.
WSB received a first protest from Astana Arlans, the visiting team to Los Angeles, regarding two bouts (Bantamweight and Heavyweight) in a match between L.A. Matadors vs. Astana Arlans (Week 1 on 13 November 2011). The WSB Appeal Panel met on 28 November 2011 to review the video recordings of the challenged bouts and decided not to take any action because no technical foul was ascertained, although the appeal panel did have reservations about the quality of the refereeing and judging in the match.
In December WSB received another protest from the visiting team to L.A. Dynamo Moscow, regarding three bouts (Bantamweight, Lightweight and Heavyweight) of the L.A. Matadors vs. Dynamo Moscow match (Week 3 on 4 December 2011). The WSB Appeal Panel met on 19 December 2011 to review the video recordings of the challenged bouts.
The Appeal Panel upheld two of the three appeals against the challenged bouts (Bantamweight and Lightweight) and thus, as a result of the decision of the WSB Appeal Panel, the overall result of the match should be a 3:2 win for Dynamo Moscow.
WSB took note of this decision and sent, on 20 December 2011, a letter to the California State Athletic Commission, the body that sanctions the WSB matches hosted in Los Angeles, to inform it of these protests and ask for its help in reviewing these matches. In addition, WSB asked the State Athletic Commission not to assign any of the Referees & Judges involved in the appealed matches to WSB matches in the future.
On learning that some Referees & Judges who had officiated in the challenged bouts were still appointed for the most recent match against the Dolce & Gabbana Milano Thunder (Week 7 on 22 January 2012), the result of which WSB has also been appealed against by the Milano Thunder Team, WSB decided today to apply the Appeal Panel’s decision on the LA Matadors vs. Dynamo Moscow match.
The Team Ranking Table for Group A and the Individual Rankings have been adjusted accordingly.
World Series of Boxing wishes to make it clear that a decision to overturn the result of a bout due to incorrect scoring on the part of the judges is only taken in exceptional circumstances where there is irrefutable evidence of errors in the scoring and where such a decision is necessary to uphold the integrity of the competition.