BoxRec

Shaping up to be a fine weekend...........

Brodie's back on title trail

Stuart Brennan - Manchester Evening News

MICHAEL Brodie will take on Scott Harrison for the Glaswegian's WBO featherweight title in Manchester on June 3.

That thrilling prospect means the fight will will kick off an amazing weekend of boxing at the Manchester Evening News Arena - as the following night sees Ricky Hatton take on Kostya Tszyu for the IBF light-welterweight crown.

Brodie's manager Jack Trickett thrashed out the details of the Brodie-Harrison clash during a meeting with top promoter allegedly in London yesterday, but could not confirm whether contracts have been signed.

But Trickett did reveal that Warren is planning to stage the two big fights on consecutive nights - although Hatton-Tszyu will actually be in the early hours of Sunday morning.

"Two cracking fights, aren't they?" said Trickett, barely able to conceal his delight at securing a fourth world title shot for his man Brodie, who is from Manchester.

"World title fights on consecutive nights in the same city - I can't remember that ever happening anywhere, and Harrison will bring a right crowd down from Scotland."

Brodie has home advantage, as he has in his other three fruitless attempts at landing one of the "big four" world title belts.

In 2000 he lost to Willie Jorrin for the WBC super-bantamweight title, in 2003 he drew with Injin Chi for the WBC featherweight belt and last year he was comprehensively beaten in the re-match with Chi.

"Mike hasn't done bad in that regard, getting to fight on his own midden - that has to be a record," said Trickett.

"It's a fight that I really want and that Scott really wants," said Brodie after claims from Harrison's manager Frank Maloney that the Miles Platting man had "ducked" Harrison when offered the fight last year.

"I can't wait. I've never ducked anyone and Scott knows that. This is the sort of fight I need to get back to world level."

It should really all be on the one bill since the Hatton fight will likely be on Sky box office. Warren is just trying to be greedy and milk more money out of the Manchunians. Harrison/Brodie as support to Hatton/Tszyu would be a killer UK based PPV I think.

It should be on the same bill but that Hatton fight has sold out and there'll be a fair few jocks who wanna go likewise Brodie fans.

If it transpires as a fight, the economics don't make sense on this basis. For example, as a boxing nut I have made the effort to go to 3 of Brodie's big fights.

That weekend I have happily shelled out good bucks for the Hatton fight, I could afford the Friday fight as well but that is a different spending profile and diffent "missus negotiations". Is there much of an overlap between the Hatton "fight fan" and the boxing cognescenti?

I can't see how it makes sense to have this fight the day before the Hatton-Tsyzu bill. Obviously, I'm not promoting it, but what's the logic behind it?

Taking nothing away from the fight itself, because it looks like being a terrific brawl. But where is the sense in holding it in Manchester 24 hours before Hatton fights? Brodie, whilst a quality fighter, who (IMO) deserves sell-out crowds more than some fighters, is not going to sell tickets to the same extent that Hatton does. Let's face it; very, very few guys can.

So, whilst I don't want to knock Manchester fight fans, how many people are going to shell out for Brodie on a Friday, if they're already going on the saturday? The likes of us might, but anyone with a passing interest, who may have bought a ticket for Mikey in the past is surely going to think 'fornicate it' when it comes to going to fights two nights on the trot, especially as the Hatton fight is not exactly cheap in terms of tickets.

Also, surely Harrison sells more tickets in Glasgow than Brodie does in Manchester? I know the Braehead hasn't exactly been bursting recently for Scott's fights, but didn't Brodie - Chi 1 only pull a crowd of around 3000, with not much more for the rematch? I'm sure Scott managed almost that for Kebede, FFS.

Only thing I can think of, is that SN are hoping people will arrive a day early for Hatton-Tsyzu, and will shell out for a friday night as well. Given that most of the crowd will be from Manchester, I find that hard to believe. Either that or Sky have a friday night free.... But it doesn't seem sensible to me.

From Allegedly's point of view he only has to hire 1 ring, pay 1 set of people to set the arena up etc and gets 2 nights worth of fights out of it. More money in his sky rocket. My bet is the friday night they'll have the curtains out at the MEN for the smaller arena then the big one saturday night.

nickd wrote:From Allegedly's point of view he only has to hire 1 ring, pay 1 set of people to set the arena up etc and gets 2 nights worth of fights out of it. More money in his sky rocket. My bet is the friday night they'll have the curtains out at the MEN for the smaller arena then the big one saturday night.

Yes, we all know by now 'Europe's Greatest Promoter' works by economics - and economics only - these days more than ever. It's still shitty that a quality TV fighter like Brodie is put again into a war where the crowd won't do the fight justice. I'm not saying the Manchester crowd will be quiet (hardly) but I think, like the Chi fights, they'll be so spread out around the arena it will null the effect of their roar - for the fighters and the TV cameras.

You need the audience close together for this type of fight. I'm sure Glasgow would have been a better place to hold it (Brodie would be respected) but let us have faith The Alleged One has it all set up for the best.

nickd wrote:From Allegedly's point of view he only has to hire 1 ring, pay 1 set of people to set the arena up etc and gets 2 nights worth of fights out of it. More money in his sky rocket. My bet is the friday night they'll have the curtains out at the MEN for the smaller arena then the big one saturday night.

Nick, I can see your point; but surely it makes no sense to have two 'hometown heroes' in on consecutive nights. Any saving monsieur Allegedly makes by having one ring set up for two days has to be offset by the fact that Harrison-Brodie would surely sell better in Glasgow on its own, as opposed to in Manchester the day before the biggest ticket-seller this country has known for the last 20 years?

Brodie does not shift tickets on the same level that Harrison does, even though he's been in much better fights. If they're going to get it on (and I hope they do) Glasgow seems the obvious venue. Any savings made with cheap labour in Manchester are surely offset by having twice as many people show up in Glasgow?

For the record, I was hoping this would be the main fight on the undercard. As it is, I'll keep myself entertained with the ridiculous rumours that Haye and Macarinelli will provide the undercard action........

Dont think for one minute I agree with this ludicrious decision. Brodie v Harrison should be on in either Manchester or Glasgow and definitely NOT that weekend. But if the fight is definitely on that Friday and it was put on in Glasgow only the Harrison fans would turn up. Most fans will already have tickets for the saturday so wouldnt be up for the travel up and down. With SN's track record the date will probably change nearer fight time....

I wonder why they have'nt put it on in Glasgow, seems a bit strange, Hattons fight was sold out in a few days so it was never going on the under card anyway, i thing Brodie has a chance of beating Harrison, Scott has'nt looked at his best, He looks weight drained and very lethargic.Brodie (if he does'nt get caught early) will smash Harrisons body and could cause an upset.

As mentioned above they think they can squeeze more money out of that weekend with less costs so going down that route. If ticket sales prove slow they'll soon switch dates or venue.

With no major sporting events this summer (footy or the Olympics) I would have thought they might have had plenty of Saturday nights free? Ah well, will be a cracking weekend of boxing I guess....

Maybe Allegedly is hoping it will compensate when Tszyu-Hatton is called off? Or they will just slip it nicely onto the Saturday night and Hatton fights Eamon Magee.

I think Brodie beats Harrison -