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BOXING: BOXING BOARD TO PROBE ALEX COVER-UP
Oct 29 2003
By Hugh Keevins
THE British Board of Boxing Control are to hold an inquiry in the aftermath of Alex Arthur's shock defeat by Michael Gomez in Edinburgh last Saturday.
Promoter allegedly revealed yesterday the BBBC are concerned Arthur hid the fact he had a throat infection two weeks before his British super-featherweight defence against Gomez.
Arthur, whowastaken to hospital for checks after being stopped in five rounds by Gomez, was suffering from the infection in the build-up to the bout and this caused his failure to make the 9st 4 lb limit until the third attempt at the weigh-in.
Warren said: ``I have received a letter from the Board of Control telling me they are very unhappy about the fact Alex Arthur concealed that he was suffering from a throat infection two weeks before the fight.
``I am upset too because I knew nothing about Alex's illness. Had I done so I would have cancelled the fight as youhave to be 100 per cent fit for such fights.
``I'll be having a long chat with Alex about the way things go in future.
``In the meantime, we have to deal with the British Board of Boxing Control inquiry, which will centre on why the sports doctor that Alex Arthur was using prior to the fight did not advise him to pull out as the Board and myself think he should have done.''
Arthur added: ``This is all a bit of a shock to me and I don't want to say too much at this stage but I will have to take advice before I respond in detail to the Board's concerns.''
Meanwhile, promoter Tommy Gilmour has tipped Glasgow super-featherweight Craig Docherty to cash in after Arthur's defeat.
Docherty knows what it is like to come under attack from Gomez, having suffered a second-round defeat in 2001.
But in a bizarre twist of fate, Gomez did him a favour last weekend, which he is eager to capitalise on against Ghana's Abdul Malik Jabir in Glasgow on Saturday.
Gilmour said: ``Saturday night is important because Alex Arthur, having lost his No.1 position as the European contender, leaves Gomez at No.1 and Craig Docherty at No.2.
``It would appear that the management of Gomez are going to take him down the world title route, which, providing Craig wins on Saturday, would leave the way open for a European title fight.''