Idris Virgo turns down £125k offer to fight Brad Pauls

[Ruthless-RKO]

No Deal - Idris Virgo turns down £125k offer from Steve Goodwin for Brad Pauls showdown

“Never believe words, only actions,” was Promoter/Manager Steve Goodwin’s response to the massive offer made to Idris Virgo (7-0-1, 1 KOs) to box Brad Pauls (14-0, 9 KOs) being turned down.

The reaction follows an offer made to the Love Island contestant on September 8, after a weekend of antics from Virgo when he disrespected his journeyman opponent, Scott Williams (0-8), ahead of their Channel 5 fight on September 5. Virgo defeated the away fighter 40-36 on points but became the most hated fighter in Britain overnight, which prompted promoter Steve Goodwin to attempt to match him with his Southern Area middleweight champion Brad Pauls, with a view to humble the 27-year-old show-off.

“We offered to accommodate any date he wanted, we offered to do it on a show of his choice with a basic purse paid by us if on our show which increases to £100,000 should he win and £125,000 should he win by stoppage.

“I hope that this will mean the end to the insults aimed at boxers but I won’t hold my breath,” said Goodwin. “At the very least everyone in boxing knows what the reality is, and he should no longer get the airtime to talk his trash that he is not prepared to back up.”

Pauls was naturally disappointed, “He should not call himself a professional boxer. I would fight anyone if someone offered me the same deal. We now move on and I am scheduled for a final eliminator for the English title and have my own career to focus on now. He has just made himself a boxing irrelevance and maybe he is more suited to WWE.”

The situation was further summarised by New Age Boxing’s Martin Theobald in a recent article he wrote:

“Any boxer worth their salt would surely take up such an offer. Yet the offer has been refused. Turned down. Rejected. If the fight was ever to be signed, Brad Pauls would start as favourite, but it should by no means be a one-horse race.

“Ignoring the self-driven hyperbole of Virgo, the fight should still be a relatively tight affair. Neither man has gone past Area level and the chance to earn such high rewards for minimal risk would surely be jumped at by a man so confident in his abilities. Worst case scenario, he still picks up his purse.

“There is a lesson to be learned here. Virgo has made headlines by the latter of two available routes; either boxing superbly or acting the villain. Although it is safe to assume that he knew what the reaction would be, he probably never realised that someone out there would be willing to make a substantial offer. In Steve Goodwin, Virgo has found his match and, in turn, had to retreat.

“The behaviour came too soon. Virgo has years ahead in the sport, he should have waited. He has created a moment that he wasn’t ready for. Further down his career path, maybe he would have been more willing to accept the bounty put on his head. As it stands, his opportunity appears to be passing.

“The limelight doesn’t last long in boxing. Attention spans are short, fans’ tolerance low. Having raised the bar of provocation so high, so early, Virgo will have to go to some depths to beat it in the future. Without doing so, he loses the interest of the public. If he does, he risks the wrath of the Board.

“It is a checkmate scenario. Take the fight and likely lose. Ignore the fight and the next ring walk is against another journeyman, and that says a lot about Virgo’s self-confidence. The opportunity of a career-high payday will be gone and, with it, the brief moment of interest from the boxing public.

“May this be a lesson. Headline grabbing actions by boxers, despite the manner in which they occur, are typically a good thing. But be ready to back them up, because you never know when someone is willing to call your bluff.”

[dookus]

He's not going to get another offer like that off the evidence of his last fight

[Ruthless-RKO]

He's not going to get another offer like that off the evidence of his last fight

Why is he even a boxer if you're gonna turn down money like that?

[mickey1975]

I cannot stand Virgo. Really bad behaviour.

[watsupdoc87]

Who is this?

[dookus]

He's not going to get another offer like that off the evidence of his last fight

Why is he even a boxer if you're gonna turn down money like that?

Likes the glamour of calling himself a boxer while labouring to wins over unfit 0-8 types I guess - too much risk in fighting someone decent

[jonp]

This in reality was never going to happen.Brad Pauls is a area champ at ten round level Virgo a novice doing 4 rounds whos ruffling feathers and getting regular fight by acting the knobhead at pressers. One its a side bet which is not the same as an offer,Two it was made to the boxer live on social media and in the boxing press which is all about publicity rather than actualy making a fight.
Brad pauls turned down a fight with danny dignum because steve didnt like the look of it,but that doesnt get mentioned lol.

Virgo has got plenty of fights when lots of very talented fighters cant get a single fight because of the pandemic with his act.Not my cup of tea but its working for him and he genuinly likes the attention wether its good or bad.

Funny thing is making the big offer with a lad streets ahead is a way of getting the publicity with zero risk.

If Billy Joe called out brad pauls for a million pound side bet people wouldnt be saying hes turning down a career best pay day theyd be saying well whats the use of that hes streets ahead of him in experience so its not really a bet is it.Wheres the differnce with an area champ whos done ten rounds calling out a novice whos only done 4 rounders?

If steve really wanted Virgo to take the challenge why not challenge him with an 8 fight novice who hasnt done more than 4 rounds? He didnt do that because he didnt want him to take the challenge on he just wanted to get Brad in the lime light and maybe in Hennessy sports sights.

Like I say if steve had any real wish for that offer to be accepted he would have made it with a boxer with a simeler level of experience.Until he does that everybody in boxing knows its just a publicity stunt.

[Counter-puncher]

Jonp

[brian13]

Love to see him get his boxed off him for the level of disrespect he showed to last opponent.

[3132DW]

Love to see him get his boxed off him for the level of disrespect he showed to last opponent.

Yeah I’m the same - want to see him get real hiding for that.

Classless f*ckwit.

[margaret thatcher]

lol at instagram offers, some people are guillable

a funny one was team wilder complaining about hearn doing deals in the media, then deontay comes out and makes his famous 50 m offer on a f@cking instagram post

[dookus]

I can’t belive that amount is real

A fair point Still surely better to call their bluff than turn it down!

[knockout]

Hopefully someone starches him on the street.

[jonp]

I can’t belive that amount is real

A fair point Still surely better to call their bluff than turn it down!

The problem is you call there bluff and they get there ten round area level kid on a tv show against a 4 round level boxer which is the intention the whole time.
The other problem is responding to crazy media based challenges is everybody then sees the easy way to get a tv fight in the current climate is too make an outrageous bet in the media and call a boxer out with someone way more experienced.The problem there is when will it ever stop if you say yes to one?

Steve knew what he was doing with the challenge its no risk and every time Virgo gets mentioned his boxer who nobody really knew before hand gets mentioned as well. The only problem in this plan is putting up memes of Virgo as a chicken etc has really backfired. Virgo actualy enjoys cyber wars and he hit back with so many memes aimed at Steve that Goodwin has now blocked him on all social media platforms Myself I would not start a meme war with a reality contestant who loves attention regardless if its good or bad lol

[The_Don1]

Clear publicity stunt which was never gonna happen, if I was a Goodwin managed/promoted boxer I'd be questioning why Steve isn't paying them some kind of monthly stipend whilst he's not putting shows on if he's got £125k knocking around to potentially pay someone else.

[lefthook82]

Clear publicity stunt which was never gonna happen, if I was a Goodwin managed/promoted boxer I'd be questioning why Steve isn't paying them some kind of monthly stipend whilst he's not putting shows on if he's got £125k knocking around to potentially pay someone else.

Bingo! It is utter bollocks

[jonp]

Clear publicity stunt which was never gonna happen, if I was a Goodwin managed/promoted boxer I'd be questioning why Steve isn't paying them some kind of monthly stipend whilst he's not putting shows on if he's got £125k knocking around to potentially pay someone else.

I asked the exact same question 90 odd Goodwin stable boxers must be sitting there thinking we havnt boxed for six months and the 125 k yr mentioning here could put 3 or 4 shows on for us behind closed doors. I dont think Steve thought this publicity stunt through to be honest. Hes raised a few eyebrows and a few laughs in the boxing world tbh

[Webbo911]

He said it's a 'basic purse, paid by us'.

Only rising to 100k if he wins and 125k if he wins by knockout?

What's the basic purse?

I listen to Steve Goodwins podcast, he comes across quite well, but he's obviously taking a punt. If it was 125k pot, the winner gets 70%, the loser 30% he wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

[Butti99]

It’s a load of crap!! Goodwin knows it’s against the rules to make a offer to a boxer and not his manager! And I bet a lot of his boxers are not happy with him offering this money when they Are sitting at home with no scheduled fights.

[margaret thatcher]

Goodwin used to lie about his guy Ian Lewison beating Odlanier Solis and Robert Helenius