Warren offers refund

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 06 Jun 2006, 03:26

Boxing: No-show Joe 'will hit Warren hard' Jun 4 2006
Wales on Sunday

PROMOTER allegedly stands to lose up to £500k from Joe Calzaghe's homecoming fight withdrawal.

Calzaghe's fix-it man last night offered fans who've bought tickets a full refund after the Welshman pulled out of the Millennium Stadium show as the injury in his troublesome left hand continues to plague his career.

Warren revealed to Wales on Sunday he didn't take out insurance to cover against any lost revenue as premiums were "extortionate" because Calzaghe's hand problems have forced the unified super-middleweight hero to withdraw from three fights in the last year.

The Millennium Stadium were paid their fees up front so that's why the "show goes on regardless of Calzaghe".

The 34-year-old's prospective opponent Glen Johnson wanted his cash up front, too, before fully committing to Calzaghe but, "thankfully" for Warren, the Newbridge bruiser withdrew before any deal with the IBF light-heavyweight champ was signed and sealed.

Warren admitted: "Insurance premiums were so high for Joe because his injury problems have meant he has had to withdraw from three fights in the last 12 months. So I didn't cover the show. The only plus point out of this is Joe withdrew before we formally completed the deal with Glen Johnson.

"We're committed to our show at the Millennium Stadium and it's still a fantastic bill, but we're offering full refunds for any fan who doesn't want to attend the show now Joe has pulled out."

More than 13,000 supporters had already bought tickets for the July 8 bill dubbed 'Wales' biggest ever fight night' for Calzaghe's Cardiff homecoming in the wake of his systematic demolition of American hardman Jeff Lacy to unify the WBO and IBF super-middleweight titles.

That was even though an opponent for record-breaker Calzaghe - world boxing's longest reigning world champ - hadn't been confirmed.

"The refunds will be a blow for us financially," said Warren. "But that's nothing compared to how 'down' Joe feels at the moment. He is devastated he can't fight. Ever since he broke that left hand against Evans Ashira last autumn, he has felt pain. He fought through the pain valiantly to give Lacy a boxing lesson but it was too much this time.

"It's also a shame as we worked hard with American TV channel HBO to show the fight, now they are disappointed they have a black hole in their schedule."

BunglesFingers · Post by **BunglesFingers** » 06 Jun 2006, 04:13

I wonder how many of the 13,000 ticket holders will be asking for refunds. Could be a very empty looking Millenium Stadium on fight night.

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 06 Jun 2006, 04:16

Ok, so it took some pressure for this outcome.

But come on lets be fair here. Applause for Sports Network doing thr right thing and offering a full refund.

DP

Graham Brett · Post by **Graham Brett** » 06 Jun 2006, 04:18

Top man is Frank.

Not his fault Joe's hand broke.

Not many promoters would fork out to refuuds fans

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 06 Jun 2006, 04:39

Warren does stand to lose quite a bit with Joe pulling out like that. Its a kind of gamble for Warren when Joe fights, Warren either has to pay a huge amount to insure himself against this happening, then if the fight goes ahead he's lost out, or takes a risk and doesn't pay to insure then hopes that Joe's hands hold up.

Fair play to him for offering refunds, I think alot of fans will still go though. Its not a bad supporting bill thats there.

Will be interesting to see if the rest of the tickets for sale are still at the same price that they were before Joe dropped out.
Will certainly be a few freebies flying around now, Sports Network won't want a half empty show.

Where's Boxingchat when you need him

I'm sure he'll appear the next time a Hennessey show goes tits-up

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 06 Jun 2006, 05:16

Fair play to Frank and SN, did the decent thing.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 06 Jun 2006, 05:37

Yes, well done Frank.

Will be getting mine refund today. Would have thought about going, but the party I am going with only know Joe Calzaghe and Scott Gammer (from attending the Francis fight). So they didn't want to go. They enjoyed the fights but live with birds who refuse for it to be on TV - so they hadn't even heard of Amir Khan.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 06 Jun 2006, 06:04

Incidently, anyone know how about getting a refund. I purchased my tickets via the real radio website (ticketline). Its no longer advertised there as an event!

Is it contact Sports Network direct?

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 06 Jun 2006, 06:13

Although it might not feel like it right now, I think SN will be the beneficiaries of this in the long run. There were probably a lot of people who were going along with their mates to see Calzaghe fight, who would have been mightily pissed off

Joe's a bit of a promoters nightmare, a shame really given that he's definetly one of the best fighters this country has produced, but he's been injury prone a long time now, and it's unlikely to get any better now.

How I wish Calzaghe had just a few more fights in him than I think he has. I cannot see him fighting more than once or twice now, he's just too crocked.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 06 Jun 2006, 06:19

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Although it might not feel like it right now, I think SN will be the beneficiaries of this in the long run. There were probably a lot of people who were going along with their mates to see Calzaghe fight, who would have been mightily pissed off

Joe's a bit of a promoters nightmare, a shame really given that he's definetly one of the best fighters this country has produced, but he's been injury prone a long time now, and it's unlikely to get any better now.

How I wish Calzaghe had just a few more fights in him than I think he has. I cannot see him fighting more than once or twice now, he's just too crocked.

He's going to struggle to get the big fights we were all hoping for now i feel, I think the american tv networks are going to be very hesitant to use him now.
Warren in his column in the paper yesterday wasn't exactly slagging Joe off, but you could read that he was far from happy.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 06 Jun 2006, 06:22

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Although it might not feel like it right now, I think SN will be the beneficiaries of this in the long run. There were probably a lot of people who were going along with their mates to see Calzaghe fight, who would have been mightily pissed off

Joe's a bit of a promoters nightmare, a shame really given that he's definetly one of the best fighters this country has produced, but he's been injury prone a long time now, and it's unlikely to get any better now.

How I wish Calzaghe had just a few more fights in him than I think he has. I cannot see him fighting more than once or twice now, he's just too crocked.

Yes, Joe has had injury problems - but I am a not so sure about this one. I hope I am wrong, but this sounds all to convienient - and having Enzo Calzaghe speaking about it on ITV just hours after it was announced makes me more sceptical.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 06 Jun 2006, 06:39

stujones wrote: They enjoyed the fights but live with birds who refuse for it to be on TV - so they hadn't even heard of Amir Khan.

what sort of men are they Stu?!??!

I bet they know the storylines to Coronation St and Eastenders in side out though eh!

Tell em to grow a pair of boll0x and tell the missus who wears the trousers.

Its everymans right and priveledge to watch the sports they like and I will defend that to the death!

Oh yeah, and well done to SN on offering refunds. Good PR move and it will make people less edgy about buying tickets in the future.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 06 Jun 2006, 08:11

stujones wrote: Yes, Joe has had injury problems - but I am a not so sure about this one. I hope I am wrong, but this sounds all to convienient - and having Enzo Calzaghe speaking about it on ITV just hours after it was announced makes me more sceptical.

Was Enzo Calzaghe in Dads Army?

http://www.mgnet.karoo.net/walkerbig.jpg

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 06 Jun 2006, 08:12

TerribleTerry wrote:
stujones wrote: They enjoyed the fights but live with birds who refuse for it to be on TV - so they hadn't even heard of Amir Khan.
what sort of men are they Stu?!??!

I bet they know the storylines to Coronation St and Eastenders in side out though eh!

Tell em to grow a pair of boll0x and tell the missus who wears the trousers.

Its everymans right and priveledge to watch the sports they like and I will defend that to the death!

Oh yeah, and well done to SN on offering refunds. Good PR move and it will make people less edgy about buying tickets in the future.

They don't actually, they are allowed to watch any other sport but Boxing. They are as sports mad as me, but just to under the thumb to stand up to their respective birds to say "no" about boxing... Their argument to me is "I get my way when I watch Rugby, Football, Athletics, Cricket etc - so if I get my way with the boxing, I won't get a shag".

I say a lie, they do remember Nigel Benn/ Hamed/ Eubank et al. Through watching it in the old days of ITV when living at home. One of them refuses to watch soaps, I'd hate to think what his home live is like beyond going out with the boys.... they must be rooms apart when they are not shagging.

My brother is in the same scenerio... he used to be such a huge fight fan aswell, bet now though he could only name 10 active British fighters.

J · Post by J » 07 Jun 2006, 11:36

sorry stu but you mates need to grow some hairs on their bollox since when did anotrher human being have the right to tell another what they can or cant do over watching sport. Its not like they are asking to go to a live sex show for crying out loud.

some fookin birds have far too much off.

on the flip side credit to SN as i feared this wasnt going to happen but am happy to be proved wrong by FW and the gang. Kudos

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 07 Jun 2006, 13:04

Set the ground rules from day one, if they dont like it they can fook right off. Nothing worse than a bloke who's pussy whipped!

Thats always worked for me in the past.

I'm single.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 07 Jun 2006, 13:13

I agree with you both, and have been telling them - but last time we went out thought I better keep my trap shut - cause I know who they'd pick between have a good time with the lads or sticking with their birds.