DODSON OUT! According ic LIVERPOOL

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 27 Aug 2004, 08:45

Backed out Aug 27 2004

By Nick Peet, Liverpool Echo

TONY DODSON is facing up to the prospect of being stripped of his British super-middleweight title after a recurrence of the back injury which has dogged him all summer.

The 23- year- old from Garston was due to face number one contender Carl Froch live on the BBC on September 24, but has been laid up in bed for the past few days after twisting his back while racing to be fit in time to compete.

His withdrawal is the third time the Scouser has been forced out of the match-up after first surgery on his nose at the start of the year, then a freak car accident in May shelved plans to stage one of the most eagerly-awaited all-British contests in years.

Now it seems the road traffic accident, when Dodson was hit side-on while manoeuvring a roundabout, has come back to haunt the former amateur star.

"I can't believe it," Dodson told the ECHO. "I have been stepping up my training over the past two weeks to try and get back to the condition I was in in May.

"But I twisted my back while on a bicycle ride and I've been in agony ever since. I've been told it needs a few weeks rest to calm down and heal properly, but I doubt the Board of Control will allow me to hold onto my title." While the Board is yet to make an official announcement, it is highly unlikely the champion will be allowed further grace to regain his fitness.

Froch will now most likely be allowed to face-off against another contender for the Lonsdale Belt - and that is what galls Dodson most.

The 16-3-1 (10) champion said: "Myself and Froch have been talking about this fight for more than six months now and we've got some serious unfinished business to take care of.

"But to be honest I think the belt is cursed. I've never had a run of bad luck in my whole life like the spell I've had since I captured the belt in November.

"It's like one nightmare after another and I'll be happy when I'm just able to train for a whole week without anything going wrong.

"It will make me sick to see Froch with my belt. I worked so hard to get here.

"I came through some tough times and some tough fights to win the British title, but it's brought me nothing but bad luck.

"I just want to get my career back on track and I want to walk out of the gym feeling 100 per cent again. That's a feeling I've not had in a long time."

journeyman · Post by **journeyman** » 27 Aug 2004, 08:51

any prospectives? i know froch is trying to talk up a bout with magee but i can't see that happening. who's next in line? hague? ain't heard much from damon this year - is he injured as well?

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 27 Aug 2004, 08:54

Roddy Doran is fighting soon?

But Damon Hague occurred to me too.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:06

How about Naz against Froch? Hamed would only have to lose 3 stone to make super middle.

journeyman · Post by **journeyman** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:08

DavidPayne wrote:Roddy Doran is fighting soon?

But Damon Hague occurred to me too.

yeah, doran's going for one of these meaningless alphabet titles against andy halder, who'd've been another potential opponent. imo, hague would be good - not the grudge match the dodson fight was shaping into, but hague would be a nice test for froch. let's hope he gets the call, cuz there's no-one much else available and some european nobody could well signal the death knell for froch's tv exposure

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:11

Of course Matthew Barney who is due to fight on the 10th is also a very viable opponent.

Particularly as he has the four weeks notice he always demanded?

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:14

Let me get this straight: Hennessy Sports confirm Froch-Dodson is on. Within a few minutes, Dodson's hometown paper states the fight is off.
Hennessy really is a man of his word.

journeyman · Post by **journeyman** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:16

yeah, i thought about barney, but isn;t he tied into a sn show in belfast against corbett? not sure if he'd be available...

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:18

Let's be honest, how many promoters actually come out and say when a fight is in trouble? They always seem to wait until all the tickets they are going to sell are sold, and then announce it.....I don't think Hennessey is alone there.

It's odd that in boxing you can get away with it, certainly if say, Chaka Khan was playing wembley arena, and then she cancells and you've got Five star as the support act, for the sake of argument, then everyone would get their money back. In boxing however it seems to make no difference whether it's the main event which is cancelled or the undercard, it's very rare anyone pays out.

journeyman · Post by **journeyman** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:21

journeyman wrote:yeah, i thought about barney, but isn;t he tied into a sn show in belfast against corbett? not sure if he'd be available...

my bad - he's fight academy. reckon that's a definite possibilty, then, if he wants the fight.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:21

What promoter releases a statement saying a fight is on, when news that the fight is off breaks minutes later?
It's ludicrous. It's shambolic. It's Mick Hennessy.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:24

Please not Barney, might redecorate then watch it dry if thats the case.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:26

Froch will defend his Commonwealth super-middleweight title against an African nobody. At best, they'll lure over old man Otis Grant.

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:28

Nah, surely Dodson gets stripped and Barney gets the nod, providing the terms are right.

Froch v Dodson (whilst not a style classic) is a good progressive fight for Carl?

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:28

I dont blame Hennessy as far as I can see Dodson's arse has gone.

Neri · Post by **Neri** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:28

I will be gutted if this is off. Froch needs a beating, he is way too cocky, it works for Nas but not him, i was hoping Dodson would put him in his place

His ass aint gone, he has been really unfortunate. The car crash and recurring injury cannot be helped, and is out of his control

DG. · Post by **DG.** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:33

Let Howard Eadstman kick Froch's arse !

csmith · Post by **csmith** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:40

froch fighting damon hague sounds unlikely,but would be a huge ticket seller,hague has huge support and nottingham/derby is an intense local rivalry

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:50

jamesmcdonnell wrote: It's odd that in boxing you can get away with it, certainly if say, Chaka Khan was playing wembley arena, and then she cancells and you've got Five star as the support act, for the sake of argument, then everyone would get their money back. In boxing however it seems to make no difference whether it's the main event which is cancelled or the undercard, it's very rare anyone pays out.

nice to see you remember Five Star, i remember when i was a kid watching a phone in on kids Saturday morning show and someone rang up and asked Five Star "why are you so fu*king sh*t"

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 27 Aug 2004, 09:55

Yes, I remember that, god their make up was awful, and they all went weird too, the parody of the jacksons extended to them all having terrible facial surgery done if I recall rightly?

Does anyone remember on saturday swap-shop I think it was,or saturday superstore, when a non-plussed noel edmunds was confronted by this gem.

"Matt Bianco are a bunch WAAAAAAAAANKERS."

or the one where James Whales was phoned in...
"James, I just wondered why it is that you.... ARE SUCH A BALD FAT pudendum!" They hung up before he could too...

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 27 Aug 2004, 10:02

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Yes, I remember that, god their make up was awful, and they all went weird too, the parody of the jacksons extended to them all having terrible facial surgery done if I recall rightly?

Does anyone remember on saturday swap-shop I think it was,or saturday superstore, when a non-plussed noel edmunds was confronted by this gem.

"Matt Bianco are a bunch WAAAAAAAAANKERS."

or the one where James Whales was phoned in...
"James, I just wondered why it is that you.... ARE SUCH A BALD FAT pudendum!" They hung up before he could too...

They showed it the other day on '100 Greatest Kids' TV moments'. Think it was Sarah Greene who was with Five Star as opposed to Edmonds (though I wish it had been that arrogant prick). The funny thing was, the lad phoning in had a dog with him which could be heard yapping and Greene asked him about the dog and the lad said it was a puppy and everyone was going "aah" and their guards were completely down. Then he said what he said and everyone was lost for words.
It was beautiful.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 27 Aug 2004, 10:15

this wasn't on kids tv but is one of my favourites.

Lemmy from Motorhead was on a late night music show and had to review the new releases, once he had heard enough he had to stand up and press a button on a machine.

the first one up was Kylie Minogue, after 2 seconds of the disc playing Lemmy stood up and put his boot through the machine turned and said "i'm not listening to that fornicating shit"

Lemmy, what a legend

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 27 Aug 2004, 11:31

In Hennessy's defence, I feel they knew the fight was on shaky ground, hence the story on BBN with Froch saying he thought Dodson would bottle it.

They hadn't heard from Dodson's camp in a while and smelled a rat.

Without realising that the story had broken in Liverpool (incredibly unprofessional of Dodson's team if they had told a newspaper and not the promoter) they seemed to 'confirm' the date in an attempt to force Dodson's hand.

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 27 Aug 2004, 11:41

they were looking for a new opponent for corbett yesterday so maybe Barney is out of that one!!!!

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 27 Aug 2004, 11:45

Barney was never down to fight Corbett was my understanding.

I would imagine Barney is in the frame, admittedly not a barn-burner, but it will be interesting to see how Froch handles the slippery eel type.

Ilike the fight.

However Damon Hague - being a Derby ticket seller v Froch the Nottingham ticket seller - that would be a tasty encounter.