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Posts Tagged ‘Frank Warren Says’

On Khan-Judah, Froch-Johnson & more

By Frank Warren

ACROSS the pond in Atlantic City, one of our world champions is in action tonight.

And it is hard to see super-middleweight supremo Carl Froch losing to Glen Johnson.

They face off in the semi-final of the Super Six, a competition that seems to have lasted an eternity.

Johnson, 42, wasn’t even one of the original participants but came in when Mikkel Kessler pulled out.

Despite his age, Jamaican Johnson is as tough as they come but he is no Bernard Hopkins - and most will expect an easy win for Froch.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if the Road Warrior is still there at the end.

It will be Froch’s first fight since leaving promoter Mick Hennessy, although not much has changed.

This fight - and the Super Six final if he wins tonight - have been set in stone for a long time.

Perhaps more importantly, this is his first world title defence on Sky.Froch says he’s gone there to build a bigger profile but he’s not had the same crossover appeal as the likes of Joe Calzaghe or Ricky Hatton.

This week, Froch warned Amir Khan that he would be unwise to leave Sky for Primetime.

But Khan proved a success when he went to Primetime, unlike Froch who attracted a small portion of Khan’s buys on the Pay-Per-View network.

Khan sold four times as many PPVs as Froch and also proved a good ticket seller in Manchester.

Like many, I didn’t think Khan would get big support at the MEN Arena against Paul McCloskey but he drew a big crowd.

Whether Khan can find success going down the Primetime route, who knows - but his next fight could be a watershed moment.

It looks like Khan, 24, will fight Zab Judah in July at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Nearly a decade younger, Khan has to be the favourite though.

MUZZA PIZZA KO

JOHN MURRAY’S trainer Joe Gallagher wants the people of Manchester to be his eyes and ears should his man try to sneak out for a pizza or a pint.

Murray is getting ready for his big fight with Kevin Mitchell and Gallagher said: “Mitchell can’t fart in London without his trainer Jimmy Tibbs knowing about it.”

The clash in London on July 9 certainly won’t be a stinker!

BEWARE DOWN UNDER BLUNDER

THERE are worrying rumours that former British champion Graham Earl will travel to Oz for a rematch of his 2007 classic with Michael Katsidis.

Earl is now a promoter and should not share a ring again with Katsidis, who is a world-class operator.

MANNY PACS OUT OF CASES

MANNY PACQUIAO has settled his libel case against Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer over their doping allegations. The Pacman has also dislodged Floyd Mayweather to be the only boxer in the Forbes.com top 50 highest-paid athletes list.

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Frank Warren has branded WBO light heavyweight champion Jurgen Braehmer “unprofessional” and a “disgrace” after he pulled out of Saturday’s clash with Nathan Cleverly. “Braehmer was due to fly into the UK on Tuesday,” explained the promoter. “We got a call saying that he had missed his flight, but would land in the UK on Wednesday at 12pm. We sent a car to pick him up from the airport, but he didn’t show up. I then read on the internet that he has a cut and won’t be fighting. We then found out that his team had emailed their hotel at 8:30am on Wednesday morning and cancelled their rooms. Neither Braehmer nor his promoters have picked up the phone and had the decency to explain to me what is going on. He is completely unprofessional, and the WBO should impose the ultimate sanction, which is to strip him of his title. It’s one of the most unprofessional things I have seen in my time in boxing. It’s a complete joke, an utter disgrace.”

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Ricky Burns has received a boost in his quest for a unification fight later this year.

IBF champion and new world number one Mzonke Fana seems keen on the idea.

The 37-year-old South African’s management team have indicated they would be open to offers.

Fana has a 30-4-1 (12) record, and although those stats are impressive, he looks beatable.

Burns is in action again on March 12 at the Braehead Arena, Glasgow, when he defends his WBO super-featherweight title against another African, Joseph Laryea.

He made no secret of his desire to challenge Fana - or another of the super-featherweight champions - earlier this year.

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By Frank Warren

Wladimir Klitschko’s trainer Manny Steward says Dereck Chisora poses a big risk to the IBF/WBO world champion.

The Londoner takes on Klitschko in Germany on April 30.

And veteran trainer Steward says he would have preferred it had Klitschko not faced him.

“Chisora is the most dangerous opponent Wladimir will have fought in many years, because Dereck brings energy and confidence and youthfulness that’s different from what we’ve been fighting in recent fights,” he told Sky Sports Ringside.

“I think Dereck Chisora is a very tough fight. If it was up to me, I would not fight Dereck. I would prefer to fight with David Haye.

“But Wladimir has to make the decision.

“And Wladimir is an honorable man, and he felt that he should fight Dereck, because the way the fight was canceled because of his injury.

“It’s not Dereck’s fault, so he felt that he had the obligation to fight Dereck because it’s going to be a long time between he and David Haye.”

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By Frank Warren

DAVID HAYE has branded Wladimir Klitschko a coward after failing to agree terms with the WBO/IBF world champ.

According to Haye and his manager Adam Booth, Klitschko was asking too much to make the fight happen.

This week, I’ve had the same problems with George Groves.

His side made countless demands as I tried to make a fight between him and James DeGale.

I was prepared to meet most of them, but in the end it was a waste of time.

And who is Groves promoted by? None other than Booth.

The fight will now go out to purse bids. Although it’s a fight the fans and DeGale want, it’s obvious Groves isn’t interested in getting it on too soon.

I tried to make it happen last year, but Groves ran a mile then, too. I wonder if Haye is equally reluctant to fight Klitschko.

Booth told me on a number of occasions that DeGale-Groves was close to being done. But then he’d go on the missing list for days at a time.

He’d claim he’d been in meetings - he must be a busier man than a one-armed Bangkok taxi driver in the rush hour with nits.

If Groves is truly up for it, he should tell his team to pull their fingers out and sign a contract.

WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko has just announced a fight with Odlanier Solis in March.

Unbeaten Solis is aiming to be the first Cuban to lift the world heavyweight title.

• GOOD news for Nathan Cleverly, the WBO have ordered negotiations between me and the promoters of Jurgen Braehmer. WBO light-heavy king Braehmer now has to fight Cleverly or be stripped.

• RICKY BURNS defends his WBO super-featherweight crown for the second time, meeting Joseph Laryea in March.

• Laryea beat Paul Appleby in Glasgow in December, it’s a good fight for the fans.

• THE London ex- boxers association are holding an exhibition at the Hackney Museum in London’s East End. Entrance is free, and it runs between January 25 and April 30.

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